


A Thin Line

by AttackoftheDarkCurses



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Badass Rey, Comedy, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Kylo sucks at flirting, Leia Organa Ships It, Living Together, Love/Hate, Pregnancy, Slow Burn, Smut, Tons of RomCom Tropes, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-07 13:56:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 53,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14082441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AttackoftheDarkCurses/pseuds/AttackoftheDarkCurses
Summary: Rey's heard there's often a thin line between love and hate. She's planted her feet firmly in "hate", thank you very much, and as far as she's concerned, there's a million miles between the two when it comes to her feelings for her new roommate, Kylo. Unfortunately, he may not completely agree.





	1. Hate At First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit less fluffy than my last fic, but I wanted to have fun with some classic rom-com tropes, so you'll find them littered throughout the chapters. Currently I've got around 20 chapters planned and this will eventually earn an M rating. Enjoy!

 

"Leia, that's a terrible idea!"

Han seemed more annoyed than usual. Rey leaned against the car she'd been working on when Leia had arrived, and she glanced back and forth between the couple who seemed to have forgotten she was there.

"I think it's a perfectly good solution. Ben's almost never home anyway, and the rent is cheap."

 _Ben_. It was a nice name, but she'd never heard them discuss their son before. Until today, Rey hadn't even known they had a son. It seemed a little strange, but if he came from Han and Leia, she couldn't possibly imagine that he'd be anything but kind. Han and Leia might both be a little stubborn, and sometimes a little  _too_  honest, but they were good people, and Rey considered herself lucky to have them in her life.

Rey had more or less been adopted by the Solos. Not literally, of course, though she wished that were true. Instead, she settled for accepting them as her stand-in family, and they were likely the closest she'd ever have to a real one. They certainly felt more like family than any of the foster homes she'd spent time in.

It was a little over two years prior to that day when she'd first met Han. She'd been finishing her sophomore year, and was driving to her second job when her old piece-of-shit car broke down.  _Again._  Rey had managed to get it pulled to the side of the road, and less than a minute after she'd opened up the hood and rolled up her sleeves, Han had pulled over to help.

He was gruff, and if Rey was honest, he was a little bit rude, but he never once made her feel like a helpless, broke college student stuck with a shitty car. In fact, he'd been impressed by her instincts, and he'd taught her how to fix the recurring issue. When she'd taken out her wallet to pay him, careful not to mention that the money in her wallet was all she had to buy groceries with, he'd given what she now recognized as his trademark smile, and he waved the cash away.

To Rey's surprise, Han offered her a job instead, and even more surprisingly, she'd accepted, and now she thanked whatever Gods may be that she had.

Han owned a garage. Rey never really saw herself as someone who worked in a garage, but Han needed someone to man phones and perform other secretarial work. When work was slow, he offered her lessons in car repair (" _With a car like that, you'll need them"_ ), and within a year she'd started taking most of the simple fixes that came in.

Of course, she still had classes and her second job at the bookstore, but Rey lived for the days when Han would blast classic rock and keep her company as they worked, waiting for Leia to come by with whatever delicious lunch she'd decided to cook up that day. It was as close to a home as she'd ever had, and miraculously, it also came with a paycheck she desperately needed.

"Sure, rent's cheap, but there's a reason he doesn't keep roommates for long." Han's snap at Leia broke Rey out of her reminiscent thoughts.

"Ok," Leia's eyes rolled. "So maybe he's not the easiest person to live with, I'll be the first to admit that. But the condo is in a much safer area. Rey might just need to put him in his place, but she can handle herself. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Do I get a say in this?" Rey was still standing between the couple, but they both looked at her like they'd forgotten she existed.

"Of course." Han backed down and crossed his arms, waiting for her reply.

"So, it's cheaper, and in a better area?"

Leia nodded. "It's actually only a ten minute walk from here."

"And I'd have my own bathroom, and my roommate would probably only be there on weekends? And there's a private yard?"

Leia nodded again, and Han huffed, assuming he knew where the conversation was going.

Rey glanced up at Han, noticing the quiet concern on his face before she stated her opinion plainly. "If he's anything like you I think we'll get along just fine. I'm used to dealing with assholes."

Leia's eyes widened at Rey's comment, but it earned a chuckle from Han.

"Alright Leia," Rey agreed, "give him my email. This sounds a bit too good to be true, but I really do need to move, and for some reason it's been impossible to find a place that's both affordable and in a decent location."

"Why are you moving?" Han asked. "You never told us why."

"It's a bit awkward, honestly." Rey hesitated. She loved the Solos, but it's not like they'd ever seen her cry, and lately every time she thought of moving from the tiny apartment she shared with Finn, she started to tear up.

"Finn asked Rose to move in. He talked with me about it first, of course." Rey bit her lip, and reminded herself that her friends weren't leaving her. Things were just changing a bit. "They're really cute together and I know they don't mind having me stay in the apartment, but I think they'd appreciate the privacy. And sharing a bathroom with both of them has been... _less_  than tolerable."

Suddenly the horrifying image of the couple together in the shower came to mind, and Rey pushed it away quickly. Her friends were wonderful, but unfortunately they had a bad habit of forgetting she was there.

"Well you won't have to worry about that with Ben," Leia laughed. "I think he's perpetually single. I don't think he's ever brought a girl home."

Han huffed. "I don't think he's ever with one for long enough to get her name, nevermind bring her home."

Leia smacked his arm gently. "Stop that," she scolded, "he just hasn't met the right one."

Rey felt Leia's gaze land on her and instantly, she had a bad feeling.

"You're not…" Rey hesitated. "Leia, you're not trying to set me up with your son, right? You know I'm just looking for a place to rent."

Leia rolled her eyes and brushed Rey's question aside, but Han surprised them both with a full, hearty laugh.

"Kid," he started, still laughing, "as much as I wish I had a daughter like you, I guarantee he's not your type. He's too old for you. Plus, he's too much of an asshole."

" _Asshole?_ " Leia smirked. "I wonder where he might have gotten that particular character trait from."

Han's smile dropped into a sneer. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know  _exactly_  what it means."

Rey took the opportunity to leave quickly before she got pulled into the middle of what looked to be the start of a heated argument. They had those regularly.

Hopefully their son wasn't  _too_  much like them in that regard. Rey climbed into her car, and took another look at the couple standing at the garage's open entry, wondering which one of them he looked more like. Why had they never mentioned him before now? Why did he never stop by to visit?

Rey shook her head, knowing it was pointless to wonder. He'd probably email her soon anyway, and maybe if things worked out and she moved in, she could ask him herself.

 

* * *

 

Moaning. They never stopped fucking  _moaning_.

Rey sighed, now awake at...3:27 AM.  _Just great_. She slapped one of her pillows over her face, unsure of whether she had decided to muffle the noise or just smother herself so she'd never have to hear her friends at it again.

After a few minutes it was clear that the pillow wasn't going to help.

Rey reached over to her nightstand to find her phone and a pair of earbuds. Almost anything would be better than listening to them, especially when she'd have to face them in the morning and try to pretend the walls were somehow magically soundproof.

There was a notification - an email. Rey sat up quickly, suddenly ignoring the couple in the next room that had been absorbing all her attention. She never got emails anymore. Now that she'd graduated she didn't receive class-related emails and she'd set up proper filters to avoid spam, so when she actually received emails they were usually important.

_kren@firstorder.com_

Who the hell was that? Rey opened it, thinking for a minute that it might have been junk that slipped by her filters (with no subject line, that was probably the case).

_Hi Rey,_

_Normally I'd insist on meeting a potential roommate in-person, but I'm traveling for the month. Leia's spoken highly of you, so I'm willing to get to know you over the phone if that's okay. She has a spare key, and you can see the condo any time this week. If things work out, I'll need papers signed by the end of next week._

_-K_

Rey paused, considering the email. It seemed a bit terse, possibly even impersonal, considering this was meant to be from her potential new roommate. But he'd also included a phone number, so he must be okay with her reaching out to chat.

She typed the number into her phone and hesitated before hitting "dial". He hadn't mentioned where we was traveling. It was barely morning now, and it could possibly be an even more inconvenient time wherever he was.

Rey struggled with the decision for a minute before settling on a text.

_Hey, this is Rey. Sorry if it's too early._

It must not have been, because his response came within a minute.

_**Just after noon here, don't worry. You're looking for a place to rent?** _

_Yes, my roommate's girlfriend moved in and I'm sick of walking in on them. Your place is also closer to work. Leia said you do a lot of traveling?_

_**Yikes. Yes, I travel for work. I'm usually only gone during the week, but sometimes I go for a few weeks at a time.** _

_You're not a murderer, right?_

Rey chuckled for a second, then got a bit worried when he took a bit longer to respond.

_**I am. My mother's in on it too. She lures in new roommates for me and I murder them. We're quite a team, but it looks like you've caught us. It's all a ploy to keep the deposits.** _

She sat back against her pillow and laughed a bit at the idea. The noise from the other room had  _finally_  stopped.

_**Why are you up before 4 AM?** _

_I woke up to the sound of a headboard banging against my wall. Sometimes I wonder if my roommates ever sleep._

_**Rest assured, the two bedrooms in the condo don't share a wall.** _

_Where do I sign?_

Rey smiled widely. He seemed to have a sense of humor, and after everything she'd been overhearing the last few weeks (there was something  _really_  uncomfortable about hearing someone moan your best friend's name), Rey wasn't really kidding. She'd consider signing papers just to get some peace and quiet.

_**My mother said she can show you the place later today, if you want. I can send you the documents if you're serious.** _

_Just confirming. Not a serial killer? You don't own 30 cats? No late-night jam sessions with your death metal band?_

_**Is 28 cats pushing it?** _

_You better be kidding._

_**Of course I am. It's just the one. Her name is BB.** _

Rey opened the picture he'd sent and saw an adorable, round, orange and white cat.

_I'm sold, if everything goes well later I'll sign the docs and send them back._

_**Sounds great. I heard you just graduated?** _

_Yes, mechanical engineering, but I work for your dad. Mind living with someone fresh out of college?_

_**Do you have a habit of throwing parties?** _

Rey scoffed. She'd probably been to half a dozen parties, total, and had regretted most of them.

_Definitely not. I'm more of a game night with pizza sort of person._

_**Sounds perfect. I'd like to keep texting but I have to get to a meeting. We'll chat later?** _

_Sounds good. Night!_

Now that the room next door had finally settled down, Rey had a chance to get a bit of sleep before facing her roommates. She settled back into bed and pulled one of her blankets tight up over her shoulders, and got about a minutes worth of rest before it started again. The banging. Rey groaned and reached for her earbuds.  _Anything would be better than this._

 

* * *

 

The condo was beautiful. Rey had been under the impression that it was a standard two-bedroom apartment, but she was delighted to find that it was more of a townhouse style, with lots of space. Leia had been right - it was less than ten minutes from work, and somehow it was cheaper than she currently paid with Finn. It was finished with gorgeous dark hardwood floors, bright white walls, and a mix of grays and wood-tones that Rey wouldn't have thought would work together so well.

"Damn," Poe whistled, looking around the condo. "This place is really nice."

"I know, I can't believe I lucked into it." Rey smiled broadly, accepting the box Poe held. Her friends had come to help her move in, though she barely had enough to fill her car.

Finn looked around cautiously. He'd been concerned that Rey was moving in without meeting her roommate, and it had taken her days to convince him to chill out. Looking around at the lack of personal touches in the condo, his nerves were tingling again. Finn had a bad feeling about this. "Peanut, you know you could have stayed with us, right?"

Rey wrapped her friend in a hug, desperately trying to avoid explaining exactly why she'd chosen to leave. "Finn, I'll less than a half an hour away. We can still hang out whenever you want. We're still having game night tonight, right?"

"Yeah, of course," he nodded. "We having it here or at my place?"

"Why not here?" Poe suggested. He'd managed to wander off and was now looking through the cupboards. "This place is spotless. Are we sure you have a roommate? Does he actually exist?"

"Yes," Rey laughed. "He's Han and Leia's son."

"Ben? This is Ben's place?" Poe glanced over at her quickly from his spot in the kitchen.

"You know him?" Rey asked. "I didn't even know they had a son!"

Poe smiled, relieved that Rey's new roommate wasn't a complete stranger. "Ben and I have been friends since we were kids. Well actually, I guess I should call him Kylo. He's been going by that name for a while now."

"Oh," Rey nodded, finally understanding, "that's why he signed his email with a 'K'. I was confused about that. Why'd he change his name?"

"You'd have to ask him." Poe shrugged. "I haven't seen him in a few years."

Rey wanted to ask more about her new roommate, but it was nearly time for her shift at the bookstore. She thanked her friends, gave them hugs, and rushed to change for work. Her questions would just need to wait for tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

From the outside, Maz's bookstore seemed like a tiny hole in the wall, squished between a thrift store and a Chinese takeout restaurant. Inside, it was almost magical, with never-ending rows of towering bookcases from end to end, reaching deep into the building.

Rey usually worked for Maz three or four days a week, and unless an event was taking place, the days were generally very slow, so she had a habit of spending most of her shifts reading. Much to Rey's delight, Maz encouraged it, and even gave her a sizeable discount on the books she wanted.

It was a nearly perfect job, with just a few exceptions. Almost all of the customers were regulars, and almost all of them were easy to deal with. Unfortunately, the man Rey saw walk in that afternoon was  _not_  one of them. She hated this man, and she had the minute he'd first opened his mouth. She caught sight of him quickly (he was hard to miss), and decided to duck behind one of the bookshelves to avoid being seen. If he rang the bell, fine, she'd help him, but there was no reason for them to talk unless it was absolutely necessary.

He was just so... _ugh._  The man was tall, with ridiculously broad shoulders, and he came into the shop almost every week. Rey had to admit, she was a little jealous of his hair - it was rich and dark, and always looked silkier than hers would ever be, falling almost to his shoulders in soft waves. His full lips were so very tempting, until he opened them, of course. Once that happened, all chances of him being even the least bit attractive were shot to hell. Even if he was wearing dark jeans that hugged him perfectly, and a fitted jacket that only seemed to accentuate the muscles he undoubtedly had...even if all that were the case, he wasn't the  _least_  bit attractive. At least, that's what Rey told herself. She'd even made a point not to get his name, and every time he left his number she shredded it. Sometimes while he watched.

 _Ding_.

Shit. The fucking bell.

Rey sighed and came out to help him. She cringed internally when she saw his eyes grow darker. The way he looked at her was almost suffocating, and certainly overwhelming.

"Can I help you?"

The corner of his mouth raised, curling into a half smile. "Darling, I can think of a few dozen ways in which you could  _help_  me right now."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Unless any of them involve books, I doubt that's the case."

"Hmm," he thought for a second. "I actually do need help finding a book."

"Great," Rey smiled sarcastically. "Which one?"

"The Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra. Maybe we could discuss it over dinner? I'll cook. My place? Tonight?" Her eyes shot up to see his smirk.

"Actually," she answered softly, giving him a wink, "I have something else you might like more. Let me show you. We've got something back in the stacks that I think you'll appreciate."

He followed her without hesitation, and she led him back to the small shelf of sexual books they kept. She read through the titles until she found one, its cover amusingly illustrated with suggestive fruits.

"Here it is. 'She Comes First'. All about how to  _actually_  please a woman. I have a feeling you might need it."

He snorted. "Sweetheart, I know  _exactly_  how to please a woman. Want me to prove it to you?"

Rey looked up into his dark, gorgeous eyes, and tried her best not to cackle at her plan. She took a step closer, so he was standing just between her and the bookshelf, and reached up to return the book to its place behind him. She let her breasts drag across his chest, and she whispered softly, "Would you like to please me?"

His smirk fell and he paused for a minute. "Yes," he finally murmured, nodding. He grasped each of her hips in his large hands, and drew her flush against him.

She returned his smile, and whispered in the most sultry voice she could manage, "Good. I know exactly what you can do to please me."

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Anything you want, sweetheart. I've wanted to do this for months. You have  _no idea_  what you do to me."

Rey even decided to bat her eyelashes a bit, and was shocked to notice that his breathing seemed more strained. This was  _far_  too easy.

"Anything?" she looked up at him, widening her eyes. She slid her hands up to press gently against his impressive chest. "Promise?"

She nearly laughed with glee when he swallowed hard and nodded.

"Good," she pushed her hands against his chest, shoving him into the bookshelf, and replied harshly, her tone no longer sweet nor sultry. " _Leave_ , and don't come back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Roommates.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	2. Tempting Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. Rey's heard there's often a thin line between love and hate. She's planted her feet firmly in "hate", thank you very much, and as far as she's concerned, there's a million miles between the two when it comes to her feelings for her new roommate, Kylo. Unfortunately, he may not completely agree.

"Who's got the wine?"

Rey answered Rose by handing her a glass full of the Reisling she'd bought on the way back from work. She started to set the bottle back down, but changed her mind and poured herself another glass. A rather full glass, she admitted to herself. Between Rey, Rose, and Jess, the bottles she had for the evening would be gone in no time. After the afternoon she had, Rey was sure she could polish off a bottle herself, no problem.

The men seemed stuck on whatever new fancy draft Poe had brought. Rey had been awfully tempted to crack open a bottle from the little collection her roommate had, stacked in a chiller that was apparently built directly into one of the cabinets, but she decided at the last minute that it likely wouldn't help make a good first impression.  _Seriously, who was this guy? Who has a wine chiller built into their cabinets?_

"Isn't that your second glass since we sat down, peanut?" Finn glanced across the table from her, an eyebrow raised. "We've been here for less than twenty minutes. Spill. What's bothering you? You've been in this gorgeous condo for all of a single day with an adorable little cat and zero sign of a roommate, so I'm guessing something happened at work?"

Rey groaned and finished her glass before answering.  _Slow down, Rey, no need to get drunk at game night_. "That jackass came into the bookstore again."

Finn nodded, understanding. In that moment, Rey adored him, despite everything she'd heard through their shared wall. It was hard to find such an understanding friend. "Which one, the one that's trying to get into your pants or the one that brings his super obnoxious kids in with him?"

Rose giggled. "One of your customers is trying to get into your pants? Is he cute?"

"No, he's not cute," Rey snapped.  _He's gorgeous - no, no he's not, he's insufferable._  "He's a complete jerk. He comes in almost every week, and he's always making really suggestive comments and somehow he manages to make everything I say into something dirty."

"Sounds like a dick," Jess answered dryly. "I hate guys like that. All talk and nothing to back it up when you finally decide to call their bluff."

"Well I'm not calling  _his_  bluff," Rey scoffed. "It doesn't matter anyway. Han's asked me to take more hours at the garage, so I'm going to put in my two weeks at Maz's. I really like working there but Han's offered to show me the ropes of running his business, and I think it would be smart to take him up on it. As much as that asshole from the bookstore makes me want to drink an entire bottle of wine, at least I can take comfort in the fact that I won't have to see him again."

They were all sitting around the large round table that was placed between the kitchen and seating area, and Finn had just pulled out Monopoly (a clear sign that the night would  _not_  end well) when Poe asked "Rey, are there any more leftover wings in the kitchen?"

"How are you guys always hungry?" Jess laughed, "We  _just_  ate. I think you ate an entire pizza by yourself!"

Rey just laughed and got up to fetch the requested food. She'd just lifted up onto her tiptoes to grab a dish (everything was up so damn high for some reason) when she heard the front door.

" _Poe_?"

His voice was deep, rich, and eerily familiar.  _It couldn't be_.

"Kylo! Hey, nice to see you! Rey didn't tell us you'd be here tonight." Rey saw Poe smile up at the man, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him and confirm what she already new. She just  _couldn't._  What the hell had she been  _thinking_? Obviously this had been too good to be true and now the universe was getting revenge on her for assuming this situation would work out.

"Is he here?" Kylo asked, looking around the room. "We haven't met."

Rey cleared her throat and walked out of the kitchen, "She, actually."

Kylo nearly jumped back when he saw her walk out of his kitchen. Her hair was pulled out of its usual bun and hung in gentle curls that framed her face in the most adorable way. He wasn't sure exactly what he found so attractive about her (everything, probably), but the posh accent that came out of her pretty, pink lips was almost definitely part of it.

Kylo raised an eyebrow. "What are  _you_  doing here? I thought you turned down my offer to cook dinner." He cleared his throat, "Unless, of course, you changed your mind?"

"Ah, my question has  _finally_  been answered - and it turns out, you  _are_  as stupid as you look," Rey answered sweetly. "I live here."

"You're Rey? You're a...woman..." Kylo replied, blinking.

Rey rolled her eyes. "Oh, such keen observation skills you've got there. Whatever gave it away?"

She relished in watching him turn red, clearly frustrated.

"Uh, peanut?" Finn asked hesitantly. She looked over and saw that her friends were all watching the exchange, mostly with their jaws dropped. "What's going on?"

"He," Rey jabbed a finger in the air toward Kylo, "is the jackass from the bookstore."

"You told your friends about me?" His mouth was quirked up into a smirk.

She looked up and glared at him. "Only to tell them what a jerk you are."

"And did you tell them what a ridiculous tease you are?" Kylo chuckled. "Seriously, this afternoon? Letting me think you were going to have your way with me against the stacks? That was cruel."

"Cruel? That was  _cruel_? You are  _literally_  the reason I drink." Rey sneered. "You realize you were practically drooling when I batted my eyes, right? Really, is that the kind of woman you usually go for? You probably don't have many options, I guess."

"I have plenty of options, but what I don't have is a stick up my ass, unlike a certain woman I know." Kylo answered under his breath.

Rey huffed. "Just because I won't let you bend me over the counter or fuck me up against one of the bookshelves in the shop doesn't mean I have a stick up my ass."

"So you've thought about it then?" His eyes were burning into her. "You, me, a bookshelf…don't worry sweetheart, I really don't need that book you suggested earlier. I know plenty of ways to make you screa-"

"Oh fuck  _off_!" Rey yelled, interrupting him while blushing furiously.

"Told you I could make you scream." He winked. The motherfucking bastard  _winked_.

"So…" Rose said quietly to the table the two had completely forgotten about, "I'm guessing this isn't the one with kids?"

"No, not that one," Rey replied through gritted teeth.

"Then he's the one who's trying to get into your pants. That seems about right." Jess stated, seeming amused by the night's unexpected entertainment.

"Actually, now that I know what a bitch she is," Kylo snapped, "I'm not all that interested."

"I'm a  _bitch_?" Rey asked incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I guess I'd rather be a bitch than be someone stupid enough to sleep with  _you_."

"Okay," Poe stood up, finally separating the two, "I think that's probably enough getting to know each other for tonight."

The room became silent as Kylo and Rey stared each other down, glaring at each other through Poe, who still stood between them.

"So you're my new roommate, then," Kylo sighed finally. It wasn't a question, just an admittance of defeat.

"Apparently," Rey snapped, still seething.

Kylo glared at the floor and shook his head. "Shit."

 

* * *

 

Game night ended quickly, and somehow it was much louder than a normal round of monopoly. That was probably because Rey managed to polish off another couple of glasses of wine before Finn finally cut her off (" _Peanut, being drunk around him will only make things worse. You two need to focus on making nice. I'm afraid if you drink any more you'll decide to kill him or something_ ").

Kylo had left for the rooms upstairs almost immediately, and once Rey's friends left (in a rush, likely choosing to escape before they had to witness another yelling match or rant), Rey found herself pacing back and forth in front of the stairs, debating on whether or not she should go up. Running into him was the last thing she wanted right now. Unfortunately, sleepiness won out over her urge to avoid him, so she finally climbed the stairs and started down the hall to her room, passing Kylo's room on the way.

"Mom, this is a  _fucking_ nightmare. I thought Rey was a guy...because you said he, er, she, worked with Dad. I just assumed ...what made you think I'd want to live with a woman who's almost a decade younger than me? How does that make any sense?"

Rey stopped outside his room and snorted. He was suffering.  _Good_. Let him be every bit as annoyed as she was. Suddenly she was thrilled that she'd had the extra glasses of wine, and something told her she'd probably have a lot more before the end of the weekend.

"No Mom, it's not fine! ….I don't  _care_ that she's the daughter you've never had. I can tell you right now, she's sure as hell  _not_  my sister, and I'm  _never_  going to think of her that way. She's infuriating!"

Rey laughed hard, not caring if he heard her. Leia had managed to truly fuck him over, whether she realized it or not, and Rey found it  _deliciously_ just.

"...No, don't put Dad on the phone, no, please don- ...Hi, Dad. Yes, I met Rey. You could have given me a head's up, you know. ... _Really,_  you have no idea why I'm so pissed? ...Oh yeah,  _perfectly lovely_  girl, dad, she's a  _real_ charmer."

Rey quieted, straining to hear more of the conversation through the door. She could at least appreciate the fact that noises didn't seem to echo much between the rooms. That was certainly a welcome change from her last place.

"...probably because I've been actively trying to sleep with her for months, and apparently she hates me. See why moving her in might be an issue?...wha- calm down! Dad, why the hell are you getting so mad? ...Well how was  _I_ supposed to know she's like a daughter to you? You've never mentioned her! ...stop yelling at me, this is  _not_  my fault! ...cut them off? Really? That's a  _little_  extreme, don't you think? ...Well you don't have to worry now, I'm pretty sure I hate her...NO she's  _not_  delightful, just because she's nice to you doesn't mean- ...stop  _yelling_  at me!"

Rey was laughing hysterically, but through her laughter she heard what was likely more yelling from Han before Kylo slammed his phone down onto some surface, probably breaking it. It sounded like he was walking toward his door, and she did  _not_ want to be in the hallway when he came out. She shuffled quickly toward her room, but didn't make it in time. Instead she tripped over nothing ( _thanks, four glasses of wine_ ) and somehow ended up on the floor.

"Rey?"

She looked back and saw Kylo's head poking out of his room.

"You know, I wouldn't exactly call you charming either," she replied, glaring at him from the floor.

"Look," he sighed, walking toward her, "obviously this isn't ideal."

"Ideal?" She laughed. "No, definitely not."

"Are you going to move out? I only ask because it's a pain in the ass to find a new roommate."

Rey scoffed. "Are you going to keep being a jerk?"

Kylo sighed and sat down on the floor across from her. "If I tone it down, will you stay? Apparently my father likes you so much that he's basically threatened to castrate me if I try anything. Plus, I'd rather not have such a tense living situation. I'm usually only here a couple of days a week, at most, and I'd like that time to be a lot less stressful than tonight was."

Rey thought for a minute. She'd only managed to find two other apartments in her price range. One was almost an hour away, and the other was basically a closet. She sighed, and nodded. "I'll consider staying."

"Let's give it a month. You already paid for it, so that seems like a reasonable amount of time. I actually just found out I'm not traveling much in the next few weeks, so maybe we can get to know each other. Maybe we can make this work. We can try and be...friends, or something." Kylo reluctantly offered his hand to Rey.

"A month? If I don't want to get to know you can I just avoid you the whole time?"

Kylo huffed. "Sure, whatever."

"Fine by me." Rey shook the hand he offered, and absolutely ignored the tingles she felt when his hand enveloped hers.

Kylo sighed, and shrugged. "Well, what's the worst that could happen?"

Rey moaned. "You did not just say that."

"Say what?"

"You never say 'what's the worst that could happen,'" Rey explained. "Whenever you say it, something terrible always happens."

"Seriously, Rey? You're superstitious? It's just a month, how bad could it be?"

"Ugh," Rey groaned. "That's it. You've jinxed us. We're screwed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Cohabitating isn't always easy.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	3. Innocent Cohabitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm planning on updating daily. Occasionally I may be able to update more than once a day, but I don't think that'll happen often. I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but each chapter title is the name of a common trope (usually a classic Rom-Com trope) that describes the chapter (sometimes I've used it ironically, like I did with this one). Enjoy!

She hated him, that much was certain. Rey couldn't pinpoint exactly when her deep seated hatred had begun -  _oh wait, yes she could_. It was the minute he started talking. Kylo Ren was smug, arrogant, and just  _had_  to be fucking handsome. He knew it too, the bastard. She hated him, and the fact that he was the most attractive man she'd met just made it that much worse.

Rey lamented over all of this while staring up at the ceiling over her bed.  _Why_  did he have to be so attractive? She groaned, and rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face in a pillow.  _Damn him_.

A ringing phone snapped Rey out of her misery.  _Finn_. Well, she'd rather him interrupt her with a phone call than with a banging headboard.

"Hey peanut, feeling any better this morning?" His voice was cautious, as if he was talking to a wild animal, but Rey ignored it.

"I'm fine. We talked last night and we're giving it a month." Rey sighed, flopping back onto her pillows. "He said he'll tone it down. Han yelled at him a lot, so that probably helped."

"Good, that's good," Finn repeated softly. "You're always welcome back here if it gets to be too much, okay?"

"Thanks Finn," Rey smiled. "I know, but this place is great. Kylo really is the only downside."

"Pretty big downside though," Finn scoffed quietly. "I've never seen you that angry at someone before. He seems to know how to push your buttons."

"Yeah, he's particularly good at that," Rey grumbled. "Well, one way or another, I'm giving it a month."

"So you're making nice with the jackass?" Finn laughed.

"I guess so," she sighed. "Maybe I'll go make breakfast or something. That's nice, right?"

"Peanut, I thought you were trying to make nice. If you cook you'll end up killing the poor guy."

"Hey," Rey laughed, "I'm not that bad!"

"Sure you aren't, peanut," Finn chuckled, "Just stick to cereal, maybe. Toast, if you're feeling ambitious."

 

* * *

 

Kylo had been awake for hours. It was normal for him to wake up a little after six, run to the gym, maybe stop for coffee - typical weekend stuff, but this morning was different. This morning, he didn't really feel like leaving his room. In fact, by 9 AM, he hadn't even left his bed.

He kept telling himself he was just too engrossed in the book he held, but really, that obviously wasn't the case. He'd just reread the same paragraph half a dozen times. If he was being completely honest with himself, he was avoiding Rey. She'd passed down the hall about half an hour earlier, and here Kylo was. Hiding in his bed. Hiding from a woman.  _What was wrong with him_?

Sighing, Kylo finally got out of bed and pulled on an old t-shirt and gray pajama pants. He had a feeling she would have yelled at him if he'd gone downstairs in his usual sleepwear, which was usually limited to boxers. He took a deep breath, and left his room, heading downstairs.

The scene he walked in on was a bit of a surprise.

Rey must have decided to make breakfast, but only God knew what she'd been trying to make. The kitchen was a disaster of flour, dry oatmeal, and cocoa powder, covering almost every surface. Kylo was pretty sure he even noticed some sort of eggy handprint on the stainless steel fridge. His jaw dropped, but that might have been due in part to the view he was provided with when Rey bent down in wonderfully short pajama shorts to remove something from the oven.

He cleared his throat, announcing his presence. "Uh, sweetheart? If ruining my kitchen is some sort of revenge, I've got to hand it to you, it's not what I expected."

She jerked up, and the top of her un-mittened hand flew up to hit the inner roof of the hot oven.

"Ow, son of a bitch!" she yelled, shaking her now-burnt hand. A white-hot patch was already forming over the top of her hand, and she continued swearing.

"Hey, hey, come here," Kylo walked over to the sink and motioned for her to join him. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to scare you."

"Well you did," she hissed. "Shit, this hurts."

"Water should help. It might sting, but you need to cool that down." He took her hand gently, very much against her will, and held it under cool water that ran from the faucet. She glared at him the entire time.

"Stop fighting," he muttered. "I'm only trying to help with your hand. This is a bad burn."

Rey rolled her eyes and stopped trying to pull her hand away. "Fine. I know you didn't do it on purpose. And," she hesitated, and sighed, "the water helps."

"I know," Kylo smirked. "There, you should be all set. Now you just need a bandage. You might want to take some pain reliever too."

He opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a first-aid kit, selecting a bandage large enough for her burn. She accepted, and stubbornly chose to apply it herself rather than let him help.

"Thanks," she grumbled.

Kylo chuckled, "No problem. What were you even trying to make? This place is a mess."

"French toast," she answered. "But I accidentally dropped the flour and oatmeal."

"Uh, Rey, you don't use dry oatmeal in french toast."

The comment earned him another glare.

"Okay, why don't I make breakfast," Kylo suggested, attempting to be friendly. "It'll be an apology for scaring you. Still want french toast?"

"Fine," Rey mumbled, letting him take command of the kitchen.

"Hey," Kylo smiled down at her, "this was nice, though. It's been a long time since someone even tried making me breakfast."

"Really?" Rey asked sweetly, "None of women you bring home ever cook for you? That's surprising. I was under the impression that there have been quite a few of them. Surely one of them has made you breakfast."

Kylo rolled his eyes. "The women I bring home don't usually stay long enough for breakfast."

"How classy of you."

"You know," Kylo snapped, "I'm really trying to be nice here, but you just keep bringing up the fact that you think I've got some sort of revolving door of women coming through-"

"What did you expect me to think?" Rey interrupted. "For the past three months every word out of your mouth has been some sort of filthy pick-up line!"

"Oh and you  _loved_ it, didn't you sweetheart?" He gushed, "I noticed how you never called me out on it. Did you notice that? You always just blushed and flirted right back and then eventually pushed me away."

"Maybe I thought you'd take the hint," Rey snarled. "Or are you just too stupid to understand it when someone's being sarcastic?"

"Sarcastic?" Kylo exclaimed, "Oh sweetheart, you're lying to yourself if you think that was all sarcasm.  _Sarcasm_  doesn't involve pressing someone up against a bookshelf and whispering in his ear.  _Sarcasm_  doesn't involve asking a stranger the heart-stopping question ' _Would you like to please me?_ ' in that fucking naughty, sexy accent of yours."

"Oh, go to  _hell_ , Kylo!" Rey roared.

Kylo growled. "I'm already there, darling."

"Call me  _darling_  or  _sweetheart_ one more time, I  _fucking_ dare you!"

"...are we interrupting anything?" Leia's voice cut through the room's tension.

Rey looked up to see the bewildered looks on Han and Leia's faces. They were standing in the entry to the kitchen, switching between inspecting the mess, and watching Kylo and Rey yell at each other.

Kylo cleared his throat, leaning back against the counter. "Uh, hi. I didn't know you'd be here."

"Well that's obvious," Han scoffed. "Looks like you two are getting along about as well as I expected."

Rey crossed her arms and shot a stern glare in Kylo's direction.

"We're fine," Kylo grumbled, then smirked. "Just a lover's spat."

"Lover's spat?" Rey shrieked, smacking Kylo with the oven mitt she'd neglected to wear, "You miserable, lying sack of-"

Leia interrupted quickly, "Okay, I can see we came at a bad time. We just wanted to stop by and see how things were going, but maybe tomorrow…"

"It's fine," Kylo stopped her. "It'd probably be better to have witnesses here for when she decides to try and murder me by way of oven mitt."

Han chuckled, "Leia, remind me, which one of us thought this was a bad idea? And...which one of us said ' _Oh don't worry, Rey can handle herself, she might just have to put him in his place_.'"

Leia shot daggers in Han's direction.

" _Put me in my place_?" Kylo's jaw dropped. "What the hell does that mean, mom?"

Rey cackled, and didn't stop when Kylo turned to her angrily. "You do know that you don't actually have to be such a bitch  _all_  the time, right? It's not actually an obligation you have to fulfil."

"Oh, but it's so much more fun than being nice to you," she gasped between laughs.

" _Nice_?" he repeated, " _Nice?_  Since when have you been nice? So far you've just laughed at me, yelled at me, teased the fuck out of me and torn apart my kitchen! How is that  _nice_ , Rey, please, explain."

"Could have been worse," she hissed. "Honestly, when you came in the kitchen this morning I was busy debating what sort of poison to use in your breakfast."

"No, sweetheart," Kylo replied smugly, "When I came in the kitchen you were busy giving me an incredible view of that gorgeous ass of yours. By the way, I  _love_  those shorts, darling, but I think next time you should just leave them off. They aren't covering much anyway. Oh and let's not forget, you were trying to figure out how to make french toast, which apparently now calls for  _dry_   _oatmeal_. I really don't think you'd need the poison. Something tells me your cooking would be more than enough."

"You are the most aggravating man I've  _ever_  met!"

Kylo was about to respond when he heard Leia laughing.

"What's so funny?" he snapped at his mother.

"Han, do they remind you of anyone?" she asked, still laughing.

Han frowned and shook his head. "Don't even think about it. That's not even a  _little_  funny."

 

* * *

 

"Hi ladies, what can I get you?"

Rey half-smiled up at the tall blonde who was asking for their order. After Han and Leia had left that morning, she'd stormed off and barricaded herself in her room, then called Jess and Rose to suggest a much-needed girls night.

"Moscow mule, please, but can you put like, twice the amount of vodka you'd normally use in it?" Rey groaned, partially ashamed by the fact that Kylo really had driven her to drink.

"That bad, huh?" Rose gave her a sympathetic look.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Rose and Jess put in orders as well, and Rey was relieved that Jess insisted on ordering them food. Rey had completely forgotten to order food. It wouldn't numb her frustration, but at least it would probably stop her from getting wasted and strangling the man waiting for her at home.

"So Rose," Rey smiled, putting Kylo out of her mind. "How's living with Finn? I'm really happy he finally asked you to move in."

Rose looked relieved. "I've actually felt really guilty about it. I've been hoping you haven't been mad…"

"Mad?" Rey reached out and took her friends hand, reassuring her, "Rose, I'm not mad. That would be really selfish of me. I'm glad you two are happy. And if that results in me living with the devil, so be it."

Jess chuckled, "How's that going, by the way? Any better after last night?"

"I said we're not talking about it," Rey reminded her, careful to keep the edge off her tone. Right on time, their drinks were delivered, and Rey took a long, long drink of her mostly-vodka moscow mule.

"So, out with it," Jess laughed, "I want to hear all about what it's like living with Finn!"

Rose blushed. "It's been really great. He's so sweet - he keeps packing me lunches for work, and when I came home the other day he'd hung a few pictures of us. I was worried it would be too much, living together, but so far it's just been really nice."

Rey squeezed her friend's hand, not sure how else to convey the fact that she really  _was_  happy for them, despite the fact that the situation hadn't gone as well for her.

"How's everything going with you, Jess? Seeing anyone?" Rose elbowed their friend, who was usually pretty quiet about her dating life.

"Actually," Jess answered quietly, "there is someone I'm interested in. But he's a good friend, so I'm not sure I want to pursue it."

"A friend?" Rose squeaked. "Anyone we know?"

Rey noticed Jess turn a little red, but she didn't know if it was a blush, or just the result of the martini she was sipping.

"You won't say anything, right? I'm probably going to talk to him about it soon, and I want him to hear it from me."

"Of course," Rey nodded, "you know the rule. What happens during girls night is confidential."

"Okay," Jess took a deep breath, "I really like Poe. I don't know if it's mutual, and I know he's a bit older, so I don't know if he'll be interested, but I've had feelings for him for a little while now."

"I knew it!" Rose exclaimed, "I had a feeling it would be Poe!"

Rey laughed. "She's right, Jess, it's a little obvious. If it makes you feel any better, I think it  _is_  mutual."

"Really?" Jess smiled widely. "Okay, I'll have to talk to him then."

The girls laughed and dug into the platter of appetizers that had finally arrived, and Rey decided to drop all pretenses, ordering a double shot.

"Rey," Jess asked after the server left to get her drink, "you're switching to shots now? Should we be worried?"

Rey sighed. "Honestly, after the last twenty-four hours, you're both lucky I'm not already on my third or fourth drink."

"Can we talk about that?" Rose asked. "Because last night was…"

"A little hot?" Jess offered.

"What?" Rey looked at her friend, a little shocked.

"I'm just saying," Jess shrugged, "Once you two started going at each other, you could have cut the sexual tension in the room with a knife."

Rey scoffed. "You're imagining things."

"Maybe," Jess nodded, "either way, it makes for a shitty living situation."

"Yeah," Rey sighed, starting to feel the effects of what she'd been drinking. "He's just so frustrating. I hate him, but some stupid, awful part of my brain just keeps focusing on how ridiculously attractive he is." She let her forehead gently hit the table in front of her. "Why does he have to be such an asshole?" she whined.

"You...think he's attractive?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well she has eyes, doesn't she?" Jess mumbled.

Rey glared up at Jess, then rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's attractive." She groaned, and lowered her head back to the table. "So, so attractive."

Jess thought for a minute, then snorted. "You're  _completely_  screwed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Mediation doesn't always help.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	4. Mediation Backfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This'll be the last chapter I post for the day - more to come tomorrow! Enjoy :)

The next morning, Rey listened to her alarm go off for a few minutes before bothering to turn it off. The vodka had been a mistake. The tequila she'd had after it?  _Well…_

Saying a quick prayer for her liver (because let's be honest, after a month of living with Kylo, she might need a new one), Rey reluctantly got out of bed and pulled on the plain jeans and t-shirt she'd wear to work for the day. Working at the bookstore allowed her to opt for cute summer dresses, but days at the garage were another story.

Rey didn't know whether or not Kylo would be awake, but she kept her fingers crossed as she walked down the hall and made her way downstairs to the coffee maker. He was nowhere to be found.  _Thank God._  She set the coffee to brew and shuffled into the half-bath that was off the kitchen, finally pulling her hair back into a set of messy buns. Her roommate might be a monster, but it was nearly impossible to pass up two and a half baths.

Just as she finished with her hair, the coffee maker started beeping, and Rey heard the front door open.

 _Shit_.

"Rey?" She heard him call up the stairs. "I got us muffins."

She took a deep breath and called from the kitchen, "I'm in here, coffee's ready."

"Oh, great," she looked up and saw his relieved smile. He was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, watching her pour herself a mug. "It's not poisoned, right?"

Rey snorted. "Mine isn't. Can't say the same for yours."

"Right," he chuckled. "Well I got muffins."

He held out a bag, and Rey paused. "Apology muffins?"

"We got a bit off-track yesterday. I'm sure my parents enjoyed the show, but I really would like to try and make this work. So, yeah," he shrugged. "Apology muffins. I wasn't sure what kind you liked, so I got a few different ones."

"Huh," Rey huffed. "You're lucky I'm hungry."

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Can we at least try to make it through a single day without yelling or snapping at each other?"

Rey sighed. "Fine. That shouldn't be too difficult since I'm working most of the day. I've got to be there in twenty minutes, so I'm leaving soon."

"Maybe we can order takeout when you get back?" Kylo asked cautiously. "Watch a movie or something?"

Rey looked up, inspecting his expression for any sign of ulterior motives. When she found none, she shrugged. "Sure. But if you even think about doing anything other than eating or watching a movie, it'll be the last time I try being nice to you."

"Deal."

* * *

The walk to Han's garage was blissfully quiet, and it reminded Rey that she had another reason for trying to stick it out with her current living situation. She certainly hadn't had the option to walk to work from her old apartment, and it was a welcome change.

Han had already arrived when she got to the garage, but he'd closed himself in the office. Just as well. Rey had quite a few things she needed to get done, and she wasn't sure how Han was feeling toward her after he'd seen her and Kylo's argument.

Rey unlocked her toolbox and headed toward her first task of the day - a fairly simple transmission repair. About a half an hour in, she was pleased with her progress, and decided to check in on Han to let him know it would likely be finished ahead of schedule. Entering the office, she noticed Han's stony expression. It wasn't a good sign. This was the expression he only wore for the most difficult customers, or possibly, when he and Leia were having an argument that was actually serious.

"Hey kid," he grumbled, noticing her enter.

"I'm a bit ahead on my to-do list. Just thought I'd let you know," Rey said quietly.  _Was he mad at her?_

"Good," Han grunted.

Rey frowned, and turned to leave.

"Wait, kid," Han sighed, "We should talk. Come here," he motioned to the other chair in the office, "sit down."

Rey hesitated, and finally crossed the room to take a seat.

"I wanted to apologize," Han explained, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. "I should have done more to stop you from moving in with my son."

"Han," she chuckled, "since when do I ever listen to you?"

He laughed, finally relaxing a bit. "That's a good point. I was just hoping you weren't mad at me. My son can be a real jerk and you deserve a better roommate than that."

Rey nodded, "It's been tough, I'm not going to lie. But we talked again this morning - without yelling," she reassured him, "and tonight we're just going to order takeout and watch a movie. Try getting to know each other without killing each other, you know?"

"Good luck," Han grumbled.

* * *

Rey got back to work, and happily found that it made for an excellent distraction from the dark eyes and plush lips she kept thinking of.  _Traitorous hormones_. By the end of her shift, she'd finally finished the transmission repair that wasn't due to be finished for another three days. Maybe this was another good reason to continue living with Kylo. He was so frustrating, he caused her to wrap herself completely up in work.

"There you are!" Rey looked up from her spot on the garage floor to see Leia, standing with a small bag of takeout. It was somewhat heartwarming that the woman insisted on bringing Han lunch every day, despite her busy schedule.

"Hey Leia," Rey greeted her, standing up and brushing herself off.

"So has there been any improvement?" the woman asked, her lips quirking into a familiar smile. "Has my son gotten any more agreeable?"

"Well we haven't managed to kill each other yet, so that's something," Rey sighed. "We argued more after you left yesterday, but this morning wasn't a complete disaster. I just wish he wasn't so...oh, I don't know," Rey paused, thinking of the word. "Frustrating, I guess."

"Like father, like son," Leia laughed. "Han and I were a lot like that when we met." Rey eyed her wearily. "It got a lot better when we finally admitted it was just chemistry."

"It is  _not_  chemistry," Rey seethed quietly.

Leia didn't respond, except to raise an eyebrow at Rey, almost as if she was saying " _Oh really, are you sure?"_  Thankfully she had the good sense not to actually say the words.

"Sorry, Leia," Rey sighed. "I shouldn't be snapping at you. I really do like the condo, and I know you were only trying to help. I've got to get going - Han's in the office, if you're looking for him."

Leia pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay, Rey. I'm here to talk if you need anything. Have a good afternoon."

"Thanks Leia," Rey smiled. It really wouldn't do her any good to keep getting mad at everyone.

Leia walked over toward the office, leaving Rey to her thoughts.  _Dinner and a movie_ , Rey considered.  _He better not think this is a date_. She grabbed her phone and locked up her toolbox, then started on the wonderfully short walk home. She was nervous. What if he really did think this was some sort of date?

Before she started overthinking it, Rey pulled out her phone and dialed Poe's number. Poe knew Kylo, so maybe he'd have some sort of insight.

"Hi Rey, what's up? Need help moving his body?"

Rey laughed.  _Yes_ , calling Poe had been the right decision. "Not yet," she smiled, "but I'll keep you in mind if the time comes. I was wondering if we could chat."

"Of course," Poe agreed, "what's up?"

"Kylo and I had a bit of an explosive argument again yesterday and tonight I agreed to have takeout and watch a movie with him. We're trying to get along, or at least go the day without arguing. The issue is, I'm really concerned he might think this is some sort of date. That's probably silly of me, but I just want to make it really clear that it's not."

"Knowing Kylo," Poe chuckled, "that's not a silly concern. How about this - why don't I come over. I'll bring some wine, maybe some cupcakes from that bakery you like, and the three of us can hang out. That way it's clearly not a date, and if you start arguing, I can break things up."

"That's actually really smart," Rey nodded. "I just need to get home and take a shower, then do some unpacking. Do you think you could come over around six?"

"Sure, that's perfect. Gives me plenty of time to stop at the bakery."

"Great," Rey breathed, relieved. "Thanks Poe, that's a really good idea."

"No problem."

* * *

Kylo hadn't seemed annoyed by the addition of Poe, and Rey took that to be a good sign. The sweets Poe had brought with him seemed to help. Rey gravitated toward the wine, but Kylo had gone directly for a double chocolate cupcake.  _Someone has a sweet tooth_ , she laughed to herself.

They'd finally settled on Chinese, and Rey watched the men unpack a dozen or so white boxes, arranging them on the coffee table. They'd let her pick the movie, and she'd chosen a classic she thought everyone might like. _Ghostbusters._  It was nearly impossible to go wrong with Bill Murray, right?

"Thank God we ordered takeout," Kylo commented to Poe. "You should have seen Rey trying to use the stove yesterday."

"Oh yeah," Poe chuckled, "I've heard horror stories from Finn. You should ask him to tell you some next time he's over."

"Excuse me," Rey interrupted, "I'm sitting right here, you know."

Kylo smirked, and replied suggestively, "I noticed. You're hard to miss."

Poe cleared his throat before Rey could snap. "So,  _Ghostbusters_ , huh? Great movie."

Rey swallowed the insult she'd prepared for Kylo, choosing instead to sit back, cross her legs, and drink wine from the glass Poe had essentially shoved into her hands.  _Yes_ , calling him over had been a  _very_  smart choice.

They sat through half the movie in silence, until Poe decided it was time to pack up the food since they were done eating. Rey and Kylo helped him carry it all to the fridge - really, they'd ordered a ridiculous amount, but what was the point of takeout if you didn't have leftovers? Just as Kylo leaned down to set a few containers on the refrigerator shelf, he accidentally dropped one of the sauces. Sticky red sauce splattered across the inside of the fridge, dripping down onto the floor.

"Damnit!" they heard him hiss under his breath. "Rey, toss me the napkins?"

She smirked. "What's the magic word?"

Kylo glared up at her from the floor. "Seriously? You're doing this now?"

"It's just a word, Kylo. There's nothing wrong with being polite."

He sighed, and possibly growled a bit before uttering, "Rey, could you  _please_  pass me some napkins."

She rolled her eyes, and handed him a stack of napkins. "Was that so difficult? Maybe just lead with  _please_  next time you want something."

Kylo finished wiping up the spilled sauce, and stood, looking down at her with a half-smile. "So, next time I want something I should just say  _please_?"

Rey nodded, crossing her arms and standing firm, despite the fact that he was standing a bit closer than necessary.

"Alright," Kylo said softly in a deep voice, starting to smirk, "Rey, would you  _please_  suck my-"

"Finish that sentence, and it'll be your last," she hissed.

"Okay," Poe laughed nervously, stepping between them, "why don't we get back to the movie.  _Ghostbusters_ , right guys? Such a blast!"

"Stay out of it, Poe," Kylo snapped. "Rey started this."

" _I_ started it?" Rey gasped, "I just wanted you to use some proper manners! Maybe if you weren't such a child you'd be easier to get along with!"

"You're  _both_  acting like children!" Poe yelled, surprising them into silence. Poe  _never_  yelled.

Rey's expression hardened, and suddenly Poe realized she was glaring at  _him_ , not Kylo. She huffed and spun on her heel, stomping out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. After a few more seconds, Poe heard a door slam.

"Well that wasn't the reaction I expected," Poe muttered.

"Maybe you shouldn't have gotten in our business, then," Kylo growled.

"Oh, now this is my fault?" Poe laughed, a little shocked. "You know what, Kylo," Poe scoffed, "good luck, okay? If you want to keep being an asshole, fine. Just know, Rey is a genuinely nice woman when she's not being constantly harassed."

"I'm not harassing her," Kylo snapped, "I'm just flirting."

"Whatever. Either way, I can tell you right now, this won't go the way you think it will."

* * *

"Hux," Kylo barked, "Meet me for drinks? I need to get out of here for a bit. My plans for dinner and a movie fell through."

"Trouble in paradise?" The little ginger weasel knew  _exactly_  why his friend had been so on edge lately. He'd been talking for months about some woman he'd met who kept flipping between hot and cold, and now the idiot had somehow managed to land himself in the same condo as her.

"You have no idea," Kylo groaned.

"Phasma and I already have a booth," Hux chuckled. "Want me to order your usual?"

"Please," Kylo nodded. "I'll be there in ten."

He made the trip in eight. That's how bad it was.

When Kylo entered the small pub filled with dark hardwood and barely lit with dim hanging lights, he spotted a tall blonde waving him over to a booth that was shoved into the back corner.

"There you are," Hux laughed, "I'm surprised it took you  _this_  long to get here. You sounded desperate over the phone."

"I've heard you have a new roommate." Phasma smiled. "Have you sent your mother a thank-you card yet? Hopefully the person she picked lasts longer than the last one."

"Thank-you card?" Kylo scoffed. "More like the opposite. Rey hates me. Every time we're in a room together it blows up."

"That bad?" Phasma asked quietly. Kylo looked up and saw her sympathetic face. Phasma was one his closest friends, and he could always trust her to give him an honest opinion. It was a refreshing change from many of the other people in his life.

"Yeah," he nodded, drinking the beer Hux had ordered him. "I'm not sure why she's getting so far under my skin."

"Probably because you like her so much," Hux commented, as if it was obvious.

"You like her?" Phasma asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well that explains it."

"I wouldn't go that far," Kylo sighed. "I was trying to...let's say... _pursue_ her. I thought it was more of a friendly, suggestive banter every time I went into the bookstore, but I guess I came across as a jerk. Apparently her friends know of me as the 'jackass' who's trying to get into her pants."

"Ouch," Phasma laughed. "I'm not surprised though. Even when you mean well, you don't exactly come off as a nice guy."

"It doesn't matter now, though, does it?" Hux asked. "You're not stupid enough to try and hook up with this woman now if she's living with you."

"Might help, actually." Phasma muttered.

"It's a recipe for disaster," Hux corrected.

"No, of course not," Kylo replied half-heartedly. "I've done enough damage. I think that would just make things worse. But, if she starts arguments I can't promise I'll play nice."

"Of course not," Phasma laughed heartily, "then you wouldn't be the bastard we know and love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Sexual tension at a dinner party.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	5. Belligerent Sexual Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments! Just to confirm, I do plan on posting at least once a day and chapters will usually be around this length. Enjoy! :)

 

Kylo sighed and stared up at his bedroom ceiling. A quick check of the clock indicated it was almost 10 AM, far later than he usually slept, especially on a weekday. He should have known better than to drink with Hux and Phasma on a Sunday night. Thankfully, it seemed he'd slept through most of whatever hangover he should have had.

Venturing downstairs, Kylo came to the conclusion that Rey must have already left for the garage.  _Just as well._  Avoiding more run-ins with her before he had coffee would probably be for the best. Turning into the kitchen, he noticed another dusting of flour they must have missed during clean-up, and he chuckled. As explosive as their argument had been, he actually found the whole situation a little funny.

Kylo sat down at the bar with a full cup of coffee, and reluctantly took out his phone to text Rey. He wasn't sure it was such a great idea, but he remembered the advice Phasma had given him before he got out of their cab last night.  _Don't just try to be nice to her - be nice to her friends too, and if you want a tolerable living situation, stop trying to sleep with her._ It was good advice, but Kylo felt like a bit of an idiot for needing it.

_**Hey, I feel bad we ruined game night. We should make it up to your friends.** _

He was surprised that she texted back so quickly. It must have been a slow morning at the garage.

_What did you have in mind?_

_**Let's cook them dinner. We can even play a board game if you insist** _ **.**

_What's the catch?_

He chuckled. Of course she'd assume there was a catch.

 _ **No catch, I just feel guilty for interrupting your game night**_.

_Okay, I'll text them. What day/time works best?_

_**Any night this week after 5. I'm not traveling. I can probably take a half-day so I can get groceries and start cooking.** _

_I'll check with them. Thursday would probably be best for me, I have the day off._

He smiled. It looked like she'd actually take him up on his offer. Even more surprisingly, Kylo found that he didn't particularly mind her friends. He hadn't spent much time with them, but they at least seemed fun to be around. Plus, if she stayed they'd be at the condo more often, so it was probably time to bury the hatchet.

 

* * *

 

"Do we really need all these ingredients?"

Rey was a little put off by the cart Kylo had filled, wondering how much the man spent on food if he needed a full cart of groceries for a simple dinner party.

"Yes," he nodded, clearly not intending to explain any further.

"Alright," Rey sighed. "What are we even making?"

"Poe said Jess is vegetarian, so I thought it would be polite to just make all the dishes vegetarian. That way her choices won't be limited," Kylo explained, grabbing a few more items from the top of a shelf. "I was planning on starting with gruyere mushroom tartlets and cucumber feta toasts, then maybe an eggplant parm, and we can wrap it up with my mother's bittersweet chocolate tart recipe."

Rey stopped in the middle of the aisle to look up at him. "And you know how to make all of that?"

"You know," Kylo laughed, "I actually wasn't kidding whenever I asked if I could cook you dinner. I like to cook, if you couldn't tell by looking at our kitchen."

"I always just assumed you were using it as an excuse to get me to come back to your place."

"Oh I was," he admitted, nodding, "but I also wanted to cook you dinner."

"Right," Rey scoffed. "I have a feeling dinner was the last thing on your mind."

Kylo rolled his eyes, but didn't answer.  _She wasn't completely wrong._

"Well, you're coming back to my place now," he winked.

"Don't even start," she warned. "We've gone almost an hour. Don't make me regret coming shopping with you."

"Alright, alright," he held his arms up in surrender. "I'm done, I promise."

Rey shook her head, but smiled. He hadn't been  _completely_ terrible, at least not for the last few days, and this dinner party had actually been a great idea. She just hoped she wouldn't regret it by the end of the night.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I need to get to the garage sometime in the next hour so one of my customers can pick his car up. Can you drop me off there when we're done shopping?"

"Sure," Kylo nodded. "But you're not going to make me cook all this myself, right?"

"No," Rey smiled, "I just need to be there for about an hour. I'll be back in plenty of time to help."

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, she was back almost two hours before everyone was set to arrive. Miraculously, Kylo had already finished the appetizers and had started on dessert. Rey took a minute to laugh at his apron before he thrust a matching one in her direction. She'd just received a large tip from the customer she'd gone out of her way to meet and Han had casually mentioned that he was proud of her, something the man wouldn't usually say. Rey was in a great mood, and nothing, not even her roommate (or the apron he insisted she wear) would change that. Hopefully.

"Okay, no offense, but we already know cooking isn't your strong suit," Kylo said hesitantly. "Are you any good at following a recipe?"

"I'm not terrible," Rey grumbled. "What do you need me to do?"

"I'm working on dessert. Baked eggplant parm is the only thing left, and it's pretty straightforward, which is why I left it for last."

Kylo handed her a small recipe card, covered in surprisingly neat handwriting and she got to work prepping the eggplant. After about a minute, he laughed and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around to correct the way she was using the peeler. "Rey, you're going to end up losing skin if you keep peeling that way."

She snorted, "You sure this isn't just an excuse to get close to me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he chuckled, "but I don't want you bleeding on the eggplant. I'd rather not make a habit out of you getting hurt every time you try to cook."

"Sorry," she sighed, still letting him stand with his chest to her back, gently showing her the correct way to peel, though she'd clearly gotten it down about half a minute earlier. "I was never allowed to cook growing up, and I didn't really pick it up when I finally had my own place."

A timer near the oven went off, and Kylo backed away and left her to work, returning to the tart. "You weren't allowed to cook? Were your parents just afraid you'd make a mess or something?"

"No," she said quietly. "I was in a foster home with a…" she paused, unsure of how to describe Plutt, "really awful man. I'm surprised he even let me go to school. He certainly wasn't going to teach me how to cook, or do anything that wouldn't make him money somehow."

When he didn't respond, Rey glanced over. Kylo had forgotten the tart and instead, looked over at her with sad eyes and a concerned expression. He cleared his throat and got back to the bowl of ingredients he'd been preparing. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"You couldn't have known," Rey reassured him. "Don't worry, it was a long time ago. I moved out, went to college, got a job, met Finn...everything's good now."

Kylo nodded, but still didn't look like he felt any better about what she'd said. They continued cooking in silence for a while, and Rey finally began layering the ingredients for the eggplant parm. She took another look over at Kylo and saw that he still seemed uncomfortably lost in his thoughts.

 _Great,_  she thought,  _now I've made things awkward_.

Glancing down at the large bowl of red sauce he'd already prepared, Rey had an idea, and did her best to keep the grin off her face. She gently took a spoonful of it and without second guessing her decision, flicked the sauce in his direction.

The result was truly better than she could have asked for.

Red sauce spotted across his face, sweater, and apron. Rey had no idea it would make such a mess, but now that it had, she cackled gleefully.

"You did  _not_  just do that."

Her laughter stopped instantly. He looked  _pissed_.

He took a step toward her, and she backed away until her back ran into the counter behind her. Kylo kept advancing until his front pressed up against hers.

"You seriously just flicked red sauce at me?" He asked, still in shock. Their chests were pressed together, his hand was on her hip, and Rey was so distracted by her pounding heart that she didn't even see the dollop of chocolate tart filling Kylo held on his finger. She only noticed when he smeared it on her nose and started laughing.

Rey blinked for a minute, and finally laughed with him, wiping the chocolate off her face. Deciding to mess with him further she grabbed his hand and found the finger that still held some of the chocolate filling. She held it up to her face and gently sucked it into her mouth, holding eye contact with him the whole time. He drew in a quick breath, and moved in a little closer, nestling his hips against hers.

"Hey peanut, we tried knocking but-" Finn stopped when he saw the roommates in a somewhat questionable position, both still a little covered in various types of food. "Ah," he smiled, raising an eyebrow. "I see living together is helping with the 'getting along' thing."

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, Kylo had been almost finished with the tart when they arrived, so he was able to wrap up the eggplant parm while Rey greeted their guests. Poe eyed them nervously, as if he was expecting them to start yelling at any moment, which was fairly understandable.

"Okay, I have to ask," Rose started as they all sat down to eat. "Did Rey cook any of this? I feel like I need to know, for my own health."

Rey scowled playfully. "Yes Rose, I helped, and I did just fine."

"Until she decided to start flinging sauce around the kitchen," Kylo grumbled. He'd been mildly annoyed since Finn had walked in on them in the kitchen.

"You did?" Poe laughed. "What did Kylo say to deserve that?"

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Why do we just assume it was my fault?"

"Because it usually is," Rey giggled, pouring herself wine.

"It is  _not,_ " he argued, amused, "You're the one who started the mini food-fight in there. Personally, I think you just wanted to make it so I'd have to take my sweater off. Really, do you have any idea how much of a pain it is to get red sauce out of a light gray sweater?"

"You deserved it," Rey teased. "And please leave your clothes  _on_  while we're cooking."

Kylo shook his head and replied dramatically, "You're unbelievable. I did nothing to warrant that attack."

"Not yet," Rey agreed, "but I'm sure you will. Plus, I know you aren't actually upset about it. You already got revenge with the chocolate."

"Mmm," Kylo murmured. "Did I mention how good you look covered in chocolate?"

Rey snorted in annoyance, but the blush forming across her cheeks betrayed her.

Poe groaned, "Oh my God, could you guys just dial down the sexual tension for one night?"

 _That shut them up._ Rey frowned at Poe and crossed her arms. "First, there's no sexual tension. It would be great if you could stop saying that."

"Go ahead and keep telling yourself that," Jess muttered.

"Second," Rey continued, ignoring Jess, "I can't stand him. We're getting along tonight as an apology for ruining game night, but I still think he's a jackass."

"Sweetheart, you know I can hear you, right?" Kylo replied dryly.

Rey shot him a sweet, sarcastic smile. "What did we say about calling me 'sweetheart'?"

"Uhh," Kylo pretended to think for a minute, "keep doing it?"

Rey rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.

"Oh sure," Finn smirked, "let's just pretend I didn't find you two about to make out in the kitchen."

"Wait, what?" Rose's head jerked up to look over at her boyfriend.

"We were not!" Rey exclaimed, acting as though it was the worst insult Finn could have thrown her way.

Poe seemed content to sit back in his chair and pour another drink, offering one to Jess as well. "Dinner and a show," he chuckled under his breath.

"You totally were, peanut." Finn nodded.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Rey challenged. Kylo remained silent, watching the friends go back and forth.

"So, I didn't see him press you against the counter then? And I probably just imagined seeing you suck chocolate off his finger?" Finn asked, sarcasm rolling off him in waves. "Yeah, you're right. That all sounds like stuff I'd just imagine."

Jess managed to choke on her drink and Rose started laughing, either at Rey's shocked look or Jess's reaction. Either way, it was a priceless moment.

Poe cleared his throat, noticing the deep shade of red Rey and Kylo both wore. "Okay, now that that's settled, maybe we can eat."

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, the rest of dinner was fairly uneventful. Poe talked about the promotion he'd just gotten at work, and Rey filled everyone in on her successful day at the garage. Just as Kylo carried in the chocolate tart, Jess piped up.

"Hey, Poe and I were talking. There's this great state park about two hours away. It's actually only about a ten minute drive from those outlets Rose and I shop at sometimes. We were thinking it might be fun to take a group camping trip before it gets much colder."

Rey considered it for a minute. She'd never been camping, and she had a long weekend coming up. What better way to spend it than with friends, right? "I think it's a great idea," Rey nodded, "but I don't have a tent."

"You can share mine," Jess smiled. "I know Rose and Finn already have one."

"I've got one if anyone needs it," Kylo offered.

"Great," Poe smiled, "we can share. It'll be just like when we were kids."

Kylo blinked, taken aback. "I didn't think I was invited..." he trailed off, glancing over at Rey.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I guess we'll consider it roommate bonding, then."

"As long as you don't mind," Kylo replied quietly.

Rose smiled widely, relieved to see everyone being friendly. She didn't handle conflict well. "So when should we go?"

"Well," Rey started, "I'm not sure if it's too soon, but this weekend is a long one for me. Is that not far enough in advance?"

Poe shrugged, and Jess nodded, agreeing to the date Rey picked.

"Fine with us, peanut," Finn smiled.

Jess glanced over at Poe and winked. "This weekend it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The true test of a relationship? Setting up a tent without it ending in someone getting chased with a mallet.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	6. Camping Episode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise there'll be fluff eventually, but before fluff, certain characters have to stop lying to themselves about how they feel. We'll get there, probably before the end of this week. Enjoy!

 

Rey groaned quietly when he came downstairs. Dark gray plaid flannel should  _never_  be so attractive, but the way it stretched across Kylo's chest and shoulders was distracting, to say the least.

"Plaid, huh?" she cleared her throat. "You know this is just a camping trip and not an L.L. Bean ad campaign, right?"

Kylo shook his head and quirked his lips up into a bit of a smile. "You'll regret that when you're freezing later. You do know it gets cold there at night, right?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

He nodded, wisely deciding not to push it further. "There's coffee and sandwiches in the kitchen, by the way. I went out earlier to get them since we probably won't have time to stop for lunch. We're meeting them there at three, right?"

"Ah," Rey smiled, "I knew there must have been a reason I agreed to ride there with you. Free food."

Kylo scoffed playfully. "It's a two hour trip, would you have really driven separately out of spite?"

"Well I am going to have to spend the next 48 hours with you," Rey grumbled. "It would be a shame if we killed each other during the car ride there. I at least want to try camping  _once_  before I die."

"You've never been camping?" Kylo asked, ignoring the rest of what she'd said. He was quickly becoming used to her half-hearted death threats.

"My childhood wasn't exactly full of happy family trips."

"Right," he replied awkwardly. "Well this should be fun. Jess and Poe picked a good spot - I've been there before. I think the area we're going to be in is right near the lake."

Rey nodded, "That's what Jess said." She paused, and then continued, "I think you're right. This should be fun."

Kylo smiled, but didn't reply. He picked up the bags by the door and left to pack them into the car. Before Rey went to grab coffee and a sandwich from the kitchen, she noticed he'd taken her bags too.  _Maybe he really is making an effort_ , she thought to herself.  _Maybe this month won't be so terrible._

She remained under that delusion for a while. At least until they got in the car.

"Classical music?" Rey laughed. "You can't be serious."

"What?" Kylo answered defensively. "There's nothing wrong with classical. It's better than half the stuff on the radio."

Rey shook her head and connected her phone, then selected a playlist of classic rock. Within seconds Led Zeppelin played across the speakers.

Kylo groaned. "No wonder my dad likes you."

"This is the  _best_  sort of music," Rey explained, "clearly he has good taste. In music, and in people."

"Right," Kylo chuckled, "of course."

"Seriously Ren, who doesn't like Zeppelin?"

He shrugged. "It's not that I don't like it. It's great, just a bit loud for my taste."

Rey smirked and subtly turned up the volume.

"Really? Kylo asked, glancing over at her, unamused.

She shrugged innocently as if she hadn't just turned it up to annoy him, but he didn't seem all that annoyed. Instead his frown turned into a little bit of a smile, and if Rey wasn't mistaken, his shoulders seemed to shake in quiet laughter.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the ride was uneventful, filled with lots of surprisingly comfortable silence, and Rey was happy to find that Kylo already knew how to get where they were going, so she didn't need to help navigate. In just under two hours, they'd arrived at Echo Lake state park and found the van that Poe, Jess, Finn, and Rose had traveled in.

"Just in time," Poe greeted as they stepped out. "We were just about to drop our stuff off at the campsite."

Rey greeted them with quick hugs, and noticed that Kylo managed to greet them with a friendly wave.

"Peanut, we were just deciding who should go out for groceries," Finn explained. "I want to drop our stuff off and go for a swim, but Poe's convinced groceries and putting up tents should be top priority."

"I'm with Poe on that," Kylo added. "Trust me, setting up tents in the dark isn't a good idea. We should get them up soon."

"I've got a grocery list," Jess said, digging through her purse to find it, and handed it to Kylo. "We can put the stuff you and Rey brought in our car and we can get a head start on setting everything up while you and Poe get food."

"I've heard great things about the liquor stores in this state," Poe mentioned. "We've got to stop at one. It'll be fun," he smiled at his friend, "just like old times, right?"

"Right," Kylo answered with a quick laugh, "except back then, we had to sneak the liquor from my dad's supply."

Rey watched them converse, a little surprised to see how well they got along. She'd never expected Poe to be so close to a guy like Kylo, and she would have thought some of Poe's charm might rub off on him. Clearly that hadn't been the case.

"Okay," Rey nodded, "I'll go with Finn and the girls. Good luck with the groceries." She moved to retrieve her bags from the back of the car before adding, "Oh, and get marshmallows."

"Already on the list, darling."

She took a deep breath to avoid turning around and strangling him for the pet name. "And chocolate."

She heard Kylo chuckle. "Rey, nobody goes camping without the ingredients for s'mores, don't worry."

"I just wanted to confirm," she grumbled. "And vodka. Something tells me we might need vodka."

 

* * *

 

The grocery store was about twenty minutes away, and Kylo was relieved to be headed there with Poe. Poe was a known quantity. He was friendly, straightforward, and usually didn't judge Kylo for being... _Kylo_. Jess, Finn, and Rose were still unfamiliar, and Kylo was still nervous he'd manage to tick them off somehow.

"So it's been a week," his friend commented from the passenger's side. "Things getting any better?"

"There's been less yelling," Kylo shrugged. "I'm taking that as a good sign."

"The dinner helped, I think," Poe explained. "Rey said that was your idea."

"Phasma suggested that it would be beneficial to be friendly to Rey  _and_ her friends, so I thought cooking you all dinner might be a good start."

"Huh," Poe huffed. He wasn't exactly a big fan of Phasma's, but Kylo had never asked him about it. "Well, it was good advice. The fact that you two survived the car trip here is promising." Poe hesitated, and glanced over at Kylo. "I know we all keep teasing you guys about there being sexual tension, and I noticed how much Rey denied it at dinner." He cleared his throat. "You didn't, though. Deny it, I mean."

"Was that a question, or a statement?" Kylo asked casually, seeming unbothered by what his friend had said.

"I'm not sure," Poe frowned. "Are we right?"

Kylo sighed. "I think you are, but like you said, Rey denied it.  _Vehemently_."

Poe's frown deepened.

"What's bothering you?" Kylo asked. He's known Poe so long that he was pretty easy to read.

Poe took a deep breath and spilled it all before he lost his nerve. "It's just that Rey's a good friend, and I don't want to see her be another woman you hook up with until you get bored and move on. You're my friend too, obviously, so I feel a little awkward saying this. I can see why you'd be interested - I'd have to be blind to not notice how attractive she is, but she hasn't had the easiest life and she deserves to be with someone who isn't just going to leave when he's done with her."

Poe looked over at Kylo, hoping he hadn't just offended him. He was taken aback to see that Kylo was nodding.

"Don't feel awkward," Kylo replied softly. "You're just being a good friend. I can't fault you for that. If it makes you feel any better, she's not one of those women."

Poe's head tilted and he looked questioningly at Kylo for a minute before he let out a short laugh. "Do you like her?"

Kylo didn't respond.

"Shit," Poe smirked, "You actually do. You  _really_  like her, don't you?"

"Do you feel like walking back to the campground?" Kylo growled. "Because I'm fully capable of getting groceries by myself."

Poe stopped his line of questioning and smiled. "You know, it's okay to admit it when you like someone."

"Are you going to admit you like Jess?" Kylo asked.

"If I do, will you admit you have feelings for Rey?"

"No," he responded quickly, with all the stubbornness of a three-year-old.

Poe sighed. "We sound like we're in high school. Anyway, yeah, she told me on Monday that she'd been having feelings for me, which was a huge relief because I've had the biggest crush on her for a while now. I actually ended up taking her out twice this week. It's not official or anything, but maybe soon."

Kylo smiled. "I'm happy for you."

"I'd like to be happy for you too," Poe muttered, "but  _someone_  can't admit his feelings."

"Hey Poe," Kylo replied quietly, "I'm  _feeling_  a bit annoyed with you right now."

 

* * *

 

Grocery shopping only took about an hour and a half, and by the time Kylo and Poe arrived at the campsite, a single tent (Finn and Rose's) had been put up, and everyone was just standing around, glaring at each other. Kylo wasn't sure what had happened while they were gone, but  _clearly_  the four friends hadn't been up to the task.

"Can you do me a favor?" Poe asked quietly while he and Kylo unloaded groceries into the coolers they'd brought.

Kylo chuckled. "Depends on the favor."

"I haven't really had any time alone with Jess today - Finn and Rose rode with us, and she hasn't really wanted to say anything since we aren't exactly official yet. Can you get Rey to help with our tent so I can help Jess with theirs?"

"That's quite the favor," Kylo joked, nodding reluctantly. "I'll see what I can do."

Poe smiled broadly and jogged over to where the two women had started trying to set up their tent. It was clear they were having issues, so they had no problem accepting his help. Kylo took a deep breath and sighed. Poe's intentions were a bit more transparent than he probably knew.

Kylo walked over to the three of them and smiled at Rey. "Since Poe's helping with your tent, can you help with ours? I need another set of hands."

"Oh," she frowned, glancing over at Jess. "Do you guys need my help?"

"I think we've got it," Poe answered quickly, "plus, if you two can work on getting ours up, we'll be done in time to unpack and swim before it gets dark."

Rey hesitated for a minute, and pursed her lips. "Alright, I guess that makes sense."

 

* * *

 

Every time they'd taken a family camping trip (which was only a handful of times), Han joked that the true test of any relationship was whether or not two people could set up a tent without yelling or without one person chasing the other while angrily swinging a mallet. Kylo had actually seen that happen once. Leia could be a bit dangerous when she was mad, and somehow he knew Rey might not be very different.

"Hand me a stake?" She held up her hand, waiting for him to do as she commanded.

He smirked. He really  _was_  trying, but it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"What's the magic word, Rey?" Kylo asked sweetly.

"Just hand me a damned stake."

When he didn't, she stood up and moved to yank one out of his hands. Taking full advantage of his height, Kylo did the most childish thing he could think of. He held the stakes up over his head, daring Rey to do something about it. There was no possible way she could reach them.

"Ren," she growled. "Give me those stakes or I swear to God, I will bludgeon you to death with this mallet."

"It's just a word, Rey," he chuckled.

" _Please_  give me a stake. I'd very much like something to stab you with."

Kylo laughed and handed one over. He was relieved to see that Rey was smiling, and not actually as angry as she'd sounded.

"Sorry you have to deal with me," he apologized, still laughing, "I figured I'd set this up with Poe, but I think he's too busy flirting with Jess."

Rey snorted. "Oh, so you noticed that?"

"He's not subtle."

"He's really not," she agreed. "But it's okay, I don't mind helping. We did say this weekend would involve some roommate bonding, so I guess it makes sense." Rey looked up at Kylo for a moment and chuckled. "You know, I'm a little impressed you haven't made some sort of joke about me helping you  _pitch a tent_."

"Oh sure," Kylo snickered, "and  _I'm_  the one with a dirty mind."

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, setting up the tents and getting everything unpacked took considerably longer than expected. By the time everyone was finished it was getting dark and the collective group decided it would be better to get a fire going since it was a bit too cold to swim.

Rey sat as close to the fire as she safely could, but still found herself shivering. She refused to admit that Kylo had been right that morning when he told her it would get cold at night. The fire helped, but not as much as one of her cozy sweaters would have. Just as she was about to scoot closer to the fire (probably a little too close), a heavy, warm, long sleeved shirt enveloped her shoulders. Rey looked up to see Kylo sitting next to her in a thin t-shirt, his flannel now keeping her warm.

"I'm not cold," she said stubbornly as she pulled it closed around her. Rey was not above admitting to herself that the shirt smelled amazing.

Kylo just sighed contently, and shook his head a bit before opening a bag of marshmallows. Rose had claimed about a half an hour earlier that she had a bad headache, and left for her tent - Finn had decided to join her. They were presumably sleeping since Rey didn't hear any noise from that direction.

Poe cleared his throat. "Roasting marshmallows - good idea. Hey Jess, we should go find a few sticks."

"I have two here," Kylo offered, handing one to Poe.

"Nah," Poe protested, "thanks, but I always like to find my own." It was the lamest excuse Kylo had ever heard his friend use.

Poe got up and walked away from the fire, and Jess joined him. "I should probably keep him company so he doesn't get lost in the woods."

Once they were gone, Rey smirked. "Could that have been any more obvious?"

"I doubt it," Kylo snorted. "We should probably avoid the woods for a while."

"Want some vodka? I was planning on opening a bottle."

"Have any whiskey?"

"Uhh," Rey dug through the bag that sat next to her. "Yes."

"That'll do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: (Spoilers) Swapping Tents, because obviously we're following classic rom-com tropes.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	7. Huddling for Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't get used to getting two chapters a day. I can't promise that pace, but I figured I might as well post both chapters so the entire camping trip was covered. Chapter 8 will be up tomorrow! Enjoy :)

Rey hadn't planned on drinking. At least not much, but that was before they started hearing... _noises_.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Kylo muttered. "I don't really care if they aren't subtle with the excuses they use to sneak off, but I was hoping they'd at least be quiet."

Rey and Kylo still sat next to the fire, and they were both growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute. The quiet panting and moaning that could be overheard was nearly impossible to ignore.

"I'm going to kill Poe in the morning," Rey grumbled, taking a swig directly from the bottle she held. She'd given up bothering with a glass, and Kylo was starting to do the same with the bottle of whiskey.

"I'll help." Kylo replied, clearly irritated.

They sat for another few minutes before Rey finally snapped. "That's it, I'm going to bed. Hopefully I brought some earbuds or something."

She got up to walk off in the direction of her tent, and froze halfway there. Kylo tilted his head, confused when she suddenly rushed back to the fire and sat back down, her cheeks bright red and her expression one of disbelief.

"Apparently they're not in the woods," she explained quickly.

"Oh," Kylo snorted. "I guess that shouldn't be surprising."

"My sleeping bag is in there," Rey groaned. "My pajamas, too."

"Great friends you've got there, sweetheart," he chuckled. "Don't worry, I have some sweatpants you can borrow. And since Poe's apparently stolen your tent, you're welcome to stay in ours."

Rey rolled her eyes. "You really think I'm going to share your tent?"

"Where else are you going sleep?"

As much as she hated to admit it, he had a good point. The tent Rose and Finn were in was tiny, and she  _definitely_  wasn't going back to her tent any time soon.

"You can sleep out here, I guess," Kylo continued, "but there are mosquitos, and you'll be up with the sunrise. It's up to you, but at least you'd get a better night's sleep if you take Poe's sleeping bag."

She sighed, and nodded, finally relenting.

"Remind me," she asked, cringing slightly at the sound of another moan, "why are we friends with them?"

"I have no idea," Kylo laughed.

Rey looked over and found herself admiring how handsome he was when he laughed.  _No, no, handsome is not a word we use to describe our rude, overly forward roommates_. She put the vodka down quickly, deciding she'd had more than enough for the night if the word  _handsome_  had made it on list of words she'd consider using to describe Kylo.

"Well," she said after a minute, "I think your tent might be far enough away so we don't hear them. Maybe we should get some sleep."

"Sounds good," Kylo nodded. He put out the fire and helped Rey put the food and drinks away, then walked toward the tent. She hugged his flannel around her shoulders, and he felt something flutter in his chest before making the executive decision to abruptly ignore it.

 

* * *

 

"Wait, which one is the big dipper? I still can't find it."

The tent Kylo had brought to share with Poe was a decent size. It certainly had enough room for two sleeping bags, plus a bit of floorspace for the duffle bags they'd brought. Rey's favorite part about it was the section of the roof that could unzip, allowing occupants to look up at the night sky. Kylo was a little pleased she hadn't insisted on separating their sleeping bags with the duffle bags, but thought it would be better not to mention it just in case she decided it was a good idea.

"There," Kylo pointed, directing her gaze a bit more to the right.

"Oh, there it is," she smiled. "Thanks. I've never been able to find it before."

"Poe and I used to do this every camping trip," he explained, a little annoyance seeping into his voice when he said his friend's name.

Rey sighed and nestled further into her sleeping bag. She'd taken Kylo up on his offer and borrowed a pair of the most comfortable, oversized sweatpants she'd ever worn. She still had his shirt and was snuggled up in it, practically swooning over how nice it smelled. The drinks she'd had were finally starting to hit her - just enough to numb her lips and loosen her tongue.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, gazing up at the sky. This far out of the city, there wasn't much artificial light to drown out the stars.

"Yeah," he murmured, laying beside her, "beautiful."

She paused for a minute and scoffed softly. "Please tell me you didn't just do that thing guys do in rom-coms. You know, that thing where the woman says something is beautiful, and the guy is like ' _Yeah, beautiful_ ,' but you know he's actually just talking about her?"

He snorted unconvincingly. "Of course not."

"Good," she replied, smiling a bit. She didn't believe him for a second. "Because this is not a rom-com. I'll not have you falling in love with me, Ren," she teased, "I know, I know, I'm irresistible, but-"

"Rey," he interrupted gently, "darling, I mean this in the nicest way possible.  _Please_  shut up and just enjoy the view."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The morning air was crisp when Kylo woke up to the sound of people moving around the campsite. He glanced over at Rey and felt the same fluttering in his chest that he'd felt the night before. This time he was a little less adamant about ignoring it.  _She must be a cuddler_ , he thought, amused. At some point in the night, her sleeping bag had magically gotten much closer to his (not that they were more than a few inches apart to begin with), and her head was nestled up on his shoulder. It was about as much cuddling as seperate sleeping bags would allow for.

The happy bit of peace he felt came to an abrupt halt when one of her friends started banging on a pot, presumably as some sort of wake-up call. Rey jerked up from her spot and looked over quickly at Kylo, clearly scared awake by the noise. She blushed a bit when she noticed how close they were, but she didn't seem to be in a rush to get away from him.

Rey cleared her throat, and pulled his flannel around herself a bit more tightly before asking softly, "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm okay," he smiled, "I brought a couple of sweaters with me, so you can hold on to the flannel."

"Thanks," she replied quietly. Rey hadn't been planning on giving it back right away anyway. "And thanks for talking me into staying in here last night. I slept really well. Much better than I would have if I'd stayed outside."

Kylo nodded. "Now that we're awake, let's go yell at your friends."

Rey laughed and followed him out of the tent, noticing that everyone else was already awake. Finn's eyebrows shot up clear to his forehead when he saw them leaving the same tent, Rey covered entirely in her roommate's clothes, but he didn't comment on it. Poe and Jess were sitting on one side of a picnic table, talking quietly while Rose was trying to help Finn start a fire.

"Poe," Kylo barked. "Let's go get firewood."

"Okay," Poe answered reluctantly, knowing perfectly well they didn't need any more firewood. He followed Kylo a few minutes into the woods before freezing when his friend turned around to glare at him.

"Last night?" he asked harshly, "Really?"

Poe frowned. "I'm pretty sure I did you a favor. Rey ended up sleeping in your tent. Why are you so mad?"

"I'm mad because you two made Rey really uncomfortable," Kylo explained. "You could have at least been honest and asked if she minded swapping with you. She probably would have been willing to - at least that way she could have used her own sleeping bag and pajamas."

"Shit," Poe muttered. "I'm sorry, I didn't really think about it."

"I'm not the one you should apologize to," Kylo answered stubbornly.

Poe chuckled. "Did you at least have a good night?"

"We spent half the night stargazing," Kylo replied quietly after a minute, "and I woke up with her head on my shoulder." He cleared his throat and glanced up at Poe. "What do  _you_  think?"

"I think that's probably the first night you've ever spent with a woman without making some sort of move." Poe snorted. "Am I right?"

Kylo shrugged noncommittally. They stood there, arms crossed, in silence for a few moments.

"Yeah, Poe," he admitted, nodding gently, finally answering his friend's question from the day before. "I like her."

 

* * *

 

When they got back to the campsite, everyone had the good sense not to ask where the firewood was. Rey sat across from Jess, still seeming like she felt a bit awkward. Kylo took a seat next to her, across from where Poe had decided to sit.

"So Rey and I were talking," Jess commented, "and she suggested a swap, so we'd keep the same sleeping arrangements we had last night."

Kylo's jaw dropped a bit, and he glanced over at Rey to make sure she was serious.

"At least Kylo doesn't snore," Rey explained. "I did insist that they keep my sleeping bag, though."

Jess scoffed. "I don't snore!"

"Actually…" Poe winced, preparing to be smacked playfully, "you kind of do."

Thankfully Jess just scowled, and finally laughed. "Well, you do too."

"So it's settled then," Rey confirmed, looking up at Kylo. "Think you can manage one more night?"

"I'm sure I'll live," he smiled.

 

* * *

 

"Last one in has to cook dinner," Rose giggled.

They all stood at the edge of the water, not really daring to go in. It was a pleasantly warm day, but the lake was generally cold no matter what time of year it was.

"Please," Finn begged, "someone make sure Rey isn't the last in."

Rey cast him a deadly glare and pushed him so he stumbled a few feet into the water.

"Sorry peanut," he laughed. "Oh, it's actually not that bad though."

Reluctantly, Rey followed him in and discovered that  _yes,_  it really  _was_  that bad. It was  _freezing_. She shuddered when the water reached her thighs and she found herself completely regretting the bikini she'd picked. Rather than venture deeper, Rey started creeping closer to shore, hoping her friends wouldn't notice that she was attempting to escape. Goosebumps had started to cover most of her body.

"Oh no you don't," Poe laughed, coming up behind her. Before Rey knew what had happened, she'd been picked up and carried quite far into the frigid water.

"Poe, if you put me in this water I'll do whatever I can to make sure you don't have sex tonight," she threatened, attempting to squirm out of his arms. Unfortunately her attempt at being threatening just made him laugh more.

"Poe..." Kylo scolded, crossing his arms. He'd already gotten in and seemed unphased by the water's temperature. He recognized the gleam in his friend's eyes and knew Poe fully intended on dropping her. "Just let her-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Rey was completely under the water, sputtering and cursing Poe's name.

Finn snorted. "It's really not  _that_  bad." His comment earned him a glare from Rey, who was really starting to embody all the rage of a wet cat. After a few minutes she adjusted to the water (though it was  _still_ ice cold) and her glare softened into a more relaxed smile.

Jess and Rose were already swimming for the small tuft of land that stuck out in the middle of the cove they were in, and Poe and Finn moved to follow after them. It seemed to only be about a ten minute swim, but Rey avoided going too far out into the lake.

"Should we join them?" Kylo asked.

Rey shook her head. "You can if you want, but I'm not a great swimmer. I didn't learn as a kid."

He shrugged. "I'd actually rather stay here."  _Or anywhere, as long as you're there_... _no, shit, don't say that, you'll freak her out._

She stood up in the water, finally up to her shoulders and glanced around at the view before looking back at him. Kylo must have been looking elsewhere, because he didn't notice her smirk until it was too late. Instead, he ended up with a splash of water in his face.

Normally he'd have been annoyed, but the broad smile she wore was just  _too damn adorable_. He tried for a disapproving, stern frown, but somehow landed on laughter. Rey laughed with him, even when he decided to splash her back, and they traded a few splashes back and forth before finally calling a truce.

"Okay,  _now_  I'm freezing," Rey commented, shaking a bit. "I think I'm going to get out."

Kylo nodded, and followed her out of the water and toward the tent. They took turns changing back into warm, dry clothes, and when he came out to join Rey by the fire she'd started, he held out a pair of thick wool socks, which she happily accepted.

"I think I'm going to make a s'more," she said, breaking the comfortable silence they'd settled into. "I've heard they're really good."

Kylo looked up, trying to keep the shock off his face. "You've  _never_  had a s'more?"

Rey shook her head, knowing she probably didn't need to explain why, and watched as Kylo jumped up and gathered the ingredients, returning with them and a stick for roasting marshmallows.

"Do you want to roast the marshmallow, or should I?"

She thought about it for a minute before replying, "Do you mind? So far each one I've tried roasting just keeps lighting on fire."

"Sure," he snorted. "But you're probably just holding them too close."

He finished with the marshmallow after a minute, and handed the stick to Rey while he got the necessary graham crackers and chocolate. "Okay," he explained, "these are best when you let the marshmallow melt the chocolate a little."

Rey accepted the finish product he handed her, and completely failed to avoid getting marshmallow goo all over her fingers.

"Oh my God," she groaned. "This is the best thing ever. Why do people only eat these while camping?"

Kylo laughed and starting making one for himself. "We could make these at home if you want."

Rey nodded happily. Between bites, she glanced over at Kylo and asked, "So how do you and Poe know each other, anyway? He said something about you guys being friends since you were kids?"

"Yeah," Kylo answered, "our parents know each other. We went to school together too. Up until you moved in it had been a few years since we'd really caught up, but Poe was always one of my best friends."

"Huh. Do you have a lot of those? Best friends?"

He shook his head. "Poe's probably my oldest friend. Well, Poe and Hux. The three of us were in school together. Hux is one of my coworkers now, so I see him more often, but I'm closer to Poe."

"Hux?" Rey asked. "Poe's never mentioned him."

"I'm not surprised," Kylo chuckled. "They hate each other. I never really knew why, but they didn't get along. They were always playing pranks on each other."

Rey laughed. That sounded  _exactly_  like Poe. "You can't leave it at that," she smiled. "What sort of pranks?"

"Well, there were a lot of them," Kylo smirked. "I think my favorite was in high school. Hux had  _finally_  gotten a cellphone and Poe somehow got ahold of his number and signed him up for a few dozen spammy, prank text subscriptions. It took Hux months to block all the numbers, and for a while there he was receiving texts every few seconds. It made having the phone more frustrating than convenient."

"That's terrible," Rey chuckled. "But it sounds  _exactly_  like something Poe would do."

Kylo nodded.

They sat, watching the fire for a few minutes while enjoying their s'mores.

"This is nice," Rey said quietly.

"Yeah," he agreed, giving her a soft smile. "I think so too."

Rey sighed, admitting reluctantly, "I guess you aren't always  _that_ bad."

"That might be the nicest thing you've said," Kylo laughed.

"Don't get used to it."

 

* * *

 

They ended up stargazing again. Rey had never insisted on moving the sleeping bags further apart, so they laid side by side with only the sleeping bags separating them.

"You weren't kidding about it getting cold," Rey muttered. "Heavy socks, sweatpants, and a flannel and I'm still cold. How is that possible? How is it warm enough to swim during the day and still get this cold at night?"

Kylo frowned. "You might still be cold from swimming."

She nodded, and burrowed further into the bag. "That's probably it. I just can't get warm."

"Well, I have a solution," he hesitated, pretty sure it was about to get him yelled at. "You're not going to like it though."

"What is it?" Rey asked, kind of worried he'd be an ass and say something suggestive, like 'friction'. Rey cringed internally. She really needed to stop thinking things like that.

"I brought both of these sleeping bags," he explained. "Poe and I always used them separately, but they're actually a set. They zip together to form a double. I swear, I'm not trying anything," he tried to reassure her, "but if you're really cold and you think it'll be hard to sleep, we can zip them together." He paused before adding quietly, "I've been told I'm really warm."

Rey blinked. That wasn't what she'd expected. She considered her options when another shiver went down her spine. God, her toes were  _frozen_.

"Okay."

Kylo glanced over, his surprise and disbelief obvious. "Seriously?"

"The fact that I said yes should tell you how cold I am."

"Right." Kylo sat up and started opening the bags so he could zip them together. Rey almost gasped when he unzipped hers - it was  _cold_. He made quick work of it, and readjusted the now-large single sleeping bag before laying back down. "Come here," he said quietly after a minute.

It took Rey a while to decide her course of action. After what felt like days, she moved a bit closer, and when she felt the warmth radiating off him, she melted into his side.

Kylo hissed. "Shit, your hands are cold. You weren't kidding."

"Told you," she grumbled. He rolled over onto his side to face her, and tucked an arm under her head. Rey nuzzled into his chest, and he wrapped his other arm over her and around her waist, pulling her close.

"Is this okay?" he asked softly. Her only answer was a nod, and a soft sigh.

He swallowed and blinked a few times, surprised by how overwhelmed he felt. He'd told Poe he  _liked_  her, but if he was being honest, that was starting to feel like quite the understatement, and Kylo didn't know how to feel about the unfamiliar surge of panic that shot through his chest. Everything was happening so fast and now he was wrapped around her and he could smell her shampoo, and  _why_ was he so nervous (he certainly wasn't a teenager anymore, but he'd never felt like this), and  _why_  had he never tried to just hold her, and  _God_ her shampoo smelled good, but why was his heart beating so fast, and what the  _hell_  was this feel-

"Relax," she breathed, interrupting his racing thoughts. She was still buried in his chest. "I can hear your heart pounding."

"Sorry," Kylo managed to whisper.

Rey just smirked softly, not commenting on his reaction. "Just get some sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The man flu is not something to be taken lightly.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	8. Caretaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think fluff was requested? This is at least a little fluffy.

Once they'd returned from the camping trip, Rey found herself much busier than she usually was. Being away from the garage for a long weekend had resulted in a bit of a backlog of work that needed to be done, so she had long shifts for a few days and only saw Kylo once or twice in passing. Halfway through the week she finally had time to do laundry, and reluctantly admitted it was probably time to wash and return the clothing she'd borrowed from him while camping. She'd never admit it, but there was a  _slight_  possibility she'd kept them a bit longer than absolutely necessary, and part of her hoped he wouldn't notice. If he had noticed, he hadn't said anything. There was also a  _slight_ possibility she'd slept in them more than once since returning home.

Glancing out into the driveway, she noticed that Kylo's car was still there. Rey hadn't seen him come downstairs yet, which was pretty odd since it was almost 9 AM. Usually he'd be at work by now. Guessing correctly that he hadn't left his room, she climbed the stairs carrying a small stack of his clothing, and knocked on his bedroom door.

She heard some coughing, a groan, and the slight creak that must have been from his bed. After a minute, his door opened slowly. Her throat went dry the minute he answered her knock, wearing just a pair of low-hanging pajama pants. She couldn't help but notice the trail of dark hair that ran down his stomach.

Rey cleared her throat. "Uh, did you run out of shirts?"

"Why?" he asked with a playfully suggestive, but hoarse voice. "Am I distracting you?"

 _Yes, absolutely_. She took a second to appreciate his bare chest and felt the overwhelming urge to lick -  _no, no she didn't_.  _There will be no mention of licking_... _or biting, or touch-_

Rey snapped out of it and rolled her eyes when he cleared his throat, having caught her staring. "Are you sick?"

"Yeah," he nodded, grumbling, "one of my coworkers came in sick and apparently he infected me. I  _never_  take sick days. I think it's the flu."

"Well we can't all be invincible," Rey replied sweetly, amused by the annoyed look her comment earned. "I have to go into work and get a few things done. Think you'll manage to survive here for a few hours?" she teased, then reached up to feel his forehead. "You don't even have a fever. I think it's just a cold. I should be home around three."

"If it isn't the flu, why am I so sore?" he whined. "Colds are never this bad."

Rey chuckled quietly, and answered under her breath, "They are when you're a man."

He ignored her, and asked, "Bookstore or garage?"

"Why?" she chuckled, "Are you planning to come in and harrass me?"

"I'm too sick," he replied dryly.

"Garage. I put in my notice at the bookstore since your father wants me to start working full-time."

"Oh," Kylo nodded. "That's too bad though. Now I won't have any fun when I need to buy books."

Rey scoffed. "Fun. Right. Well, you'll probably need to find a new bookshop anyway. When I put in my notice I asked if Maz needed any help finding a replacement, and she told me she'd been planning on selling the place anyway. It sounds like she's ready to retire."

Kylo frowned. "That's a shame. I've been going to that shop since I was a kid."

Rey nodded in agreement. It really was a shame, but she couldn't blame Maz for wanting to finally retire. "Well, I should be getting to work. I hope you feel better. Get some rest."

"I'm sure I'd feel better if I had a nurse taking care of me," he commented, winking.

Rey laughed and shook her head, then turned and started walking down the hall. She replied over her shoulder. "Keep dreaming."

"Oh I will, sweetheart."

* * *

"That's the last time you get a long weekend," Han grumbled from his spot in the office. "I had no idea how busy it would get without you." It was the closest she'd gotten to a compliment from him in a little while, so Rey accepted it happily with an apologetic shrug.

"You know, you're lucky I made it in today," she mentioned, "your son is at home, practically dying. He has a  _cold_ , the poor thing."

Han smirked, and chuckled a bit. "He getting any better?"

"A bit," she nodded, then paused. "Actually, a lot. He came camping with my friends and I. We had a really good time."

"Huh," Han huffed. "That's...surprising."

"We even managed to successfully set up a tent together, so I  _think_  we might even be friends now. I mean, I did threaten to bludgeon him with the mallet at one point, but otherwise it went well."

Rey made a point to leave out the part where they cuddled. She still wasn't really sure how to feel about that. Obviously it had only been to stay warm, but the voice in her head kept reminding her how much she'd liked curling up in his arms, listening to how hard his heart had been pounding.  _What the hell was wrong with her?_

Han blinked. "You're kidding. A mallet? Did he tell you to tell me that?"

Rey looked at him questioningly. "No, why?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he replied quickly, though it clearly wasn't  _nothing_.

"You're acting weird," she commented suspiciously. "What's going on?"

Han sighed and shook his head. "Really, kid. It's nothing."

* * *

He was weird the rest of the morning, and Rey had no idea what to make of it. It was almost as if he was avoiding her, but that couldn't have been the case. Han was nothing if not direct. Rey tried bugging him for more information, but hit a brick wall and eventually gave up. She had plenty of work to get to anyway.

A little after noon, Leia showed up with Han's lunch, though she carried a much larger bag than she'd normally bring.

"Rey, follow me in?" the woman asked, gesturing toward the office where Han was still working.

"Sure," Rey nodded, climbing off the floor and dusting herself off, "I'll warn you though, he's in an odd mood today." She entered the office and watched Leia set a few containers on Han's desk before she took another small bag out and handed it to Rey.

"Did you bring me lunch?" Rey asked. Not that it was completely outside the norm, but usually if Leia was going to bring her lunch, Han gave her a head's up so she wouldn't pack her own.

"It's for my son," Leia explained. "It's his favorite."

"Oh," Rey smiled. "What is it?"

"Just soup, nothing fancy. It's what he always liked whenever he was sick."

"Han told you?" Rey laughed. "I felt kind of bad for him this morning until I realized he was being a little dramatic about it."

"Men." Leia nodded knowingly, and laughed.

"Hey," Han grumbled, "we aren't all that bad."

"Of course you aren't," his wife replied, not even attempting to hide her sarcasm. "So," she started, "Han said you went camping?"

"We did," Rey confirmed, "Poe and Jess suggested it, and the four of us ended up going, along with Finn and Rose."

"Tell her about the tent," Han suggested. Rey gave him an odd look.  _What was with him today?_

"Uh...okay," Rey responded, not hiding the fact that she found his request to be strange. She smiled up at Leia and shrugged. "Poe ended up helping Jess with their tent, so I helped Kylo set his up. I was just joking with Han earlier that it went alright, except for the fact that your son stole the stakes and I had to threaten to beat him to death with the mallet."

A burst of laughter left the woman's lips, and she mirrored the expression Han had given earlier. "You're kidding."

"I'm confused. Is it a strange story?" Rey asked, now exasperated, looking between the couple. "What's so weird about it? He was being a bit of a jerk and I snapped at him...a bit violently, I guess, but that isn't exactly unusual for us."

"It's nothing, Rey," Leia smirked. "Don't worry. Anyway, why don't you take this home and have lunch with him. He's probably starving to death, too ill to make it into the kitchen. It's a great soup. I'm sure you'll like it too. Take the day and keep him company."

"Are you just dismissing my staff now?" Han shook his head at Leia, disapprovingly.

Leia ignored him. "Go home," she ordered Rey. "Make sure he eats the soup."

On her way out, Rey heard another laugh from Leia. "I  _told_ you," the woman whispered.

"You did," Han agreed quietly. "I hate to say it, but I think you're right. But…maybe it's not such a bad thing. She certainly won't put up with any bullshit."

Rey grabbed her things and shook her head. She loved Han and Leia, but sometimes she just didn't understand them.

* * *

Kylo had managed to put on a shirt. That was something, at least.  _A little unfortunate, though_ , the voice in Rey's head commented. She was starting to get used to ignoring that voice, but it just kept getting louder. When she arrived home a few hours earlier than planned, she found him bundled up in a pitiful pile of blankets, laying on the couch. He was surrounded by various items - remotes, tissues, cough drops, a bottle of orange juice, a couple of books, and a few pillows.

Rey failed to swallow her laugh.  _Nothing makes a man seem less intimidating like seeing him sick._

"I don't see why this situation is so funny," he moaned. His voice sounded better than it had that morning.

"Sorry," Rey smirked. "I have lunch if you'd like some."

Kylo perked up a bit, but tried to hide his enthusiasm. He answered casually, "Sure, I guess I could eat."

"Oh my God, your mother was right, wasn't she?" Rey chuckled. "You never would have made it into the kitchen."

"I have no idea what she meant by that." He did, though. Leia was right..

"Mhm," Rey nodded, completely amused. "Well, I'm going to go heat this up."

The soup looked incredible. It seemed to be a classic chicken noodle soup with a twist, featuring couscous, a bit of lemon, and what smelled like ginger. Rey was thrilled to see that the bag contained two large containers - more than enough for a few meals.

When Rey returned to the living room and handed him a bowl, Kylo looked up at her, his lips quirked into a small smile. "Did my mother send this over?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she said it was one of your favorites."

"It is," he agreed, "but I haven't had it in years. She won't give me the recipe."

"Maybe she just likes being the one to make it for you," Rey offered. She relaxed on the couch next to Kylo, pushing away some of the blankets. "I've gotten the impression that moms like taking care of their children when they're sick, no matter how old they are."

Kylo chuckled. "Good point."

He thought for a minute about what she'd said, and asked quietly, "Who takes care of you when you get sick?" He looked over and saw a twinge of sadness cross her face.

"Finn, I guess, and maybe Rose. Before them…" she shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked it softly.

Rey took a deep breath. "Not much to talk about, really." She sighed. "My parents left me outside at a hospital just after I was born. I bounced around a bit and eventually ended up in a bad foster home. When I got to college I tried tracking them down and found out they'd died. They were alcoholics, and apparently I just wasn't a priority."

"I'm sorry," Kylo offered after she was quiet for a minute. Her eyes had started to water a bit and he felt terrible. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," she drew her lips up into an insincere smile. "But now you have to answer a question. It's only fair."

Kylo nodded, agreeing to her terms.

"Why don't you and your father get along?"

She didn't miss the fact that he inhaled a bit sharply.  _Maybe that wasn't a good question to ask_.

Kylo cleared his throat. "Who said we didn't get along?"

"It's just the impression I got," Rey explained. "I've worked for him for a while now and I never knew you existed until Leia told me you needed a roommate. You live ten minutes away and you never stopped in to visit. Besides," Rey added, "Han was pretty adamant about me not moving in here."

"I'm not sure I'd say we don't get along...exactly," Kylo explained. "We just aren't close, and I think he disapproves of a lot of my choices."

"Like what? And, why aren't you close?"

"Well," he sighed, "he was gone a lot of the time. While I was growing up. Before he settled into the garage he traveled a lot, and mom and I were left at home. She was a mess every time he left, but she tried to hide it. She'd surround herself with work and I'd always just end up…" he paused, "alone, I guess. And whenever he  _was_  home, he always seemed annoyed that I didn't want to help him fix cars, or watch sports. We never really meshed."

"That sounds tough," Rey replied, not entirely sure what to say. In some ways, Kylo and his father seemed a bit more alike than either would likely believe, and she had a feeling Kylo wouldn't appreciate hearing that.

"It's not. Not really," Kylo smiled. "I shouldn't complain. I  _have_  parents, and they're nice enough to send beautiful women home to bring me soup when I'm sick."

Rey snorted. "That wasn't completely terrible, at least. It's certainly better than some of the lines you've used."

Kylo chuckled. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Yeah," Rey nodded. "Sure."

* * *

They settled on  _Indiana Jones_ , and Kylo reluctantly admitted it was the sort of movie he always watched during a sick day. Rey hadn't seen it before, so she quickly changed into pajamas and returned to the couch to watch it. At some point she managed to steal a blanket away from Kylo, who was too wrapped up in the movie to notice.

As the credits rolled, Rey stood up to take their soup bowls back to the kitchen. "I'm headed into the kitchen. Is there anything you wanted?" she offered.

He hesitated for a minute, then looked up at her with a serious expression and nodded. "Yeah, there is one thing."

"What?" Rey asked, heading toward the kitchen.

"Stay," he answered in a small, but deep voice.

Rey laughed. "I'll be right back. I just want to get the dishwasher started. I'd rather not leave these dishes out."

"No," he breathed. "I mean, here. Stay  _here_. For more than the month."

"Oh," Rey paused, turned back to him and caught his eyes. They were wide, deep brown, and desperately searching hers for the answer he wanted to hear. "Uh…"

"Please," he added softly.

Rey swallowed hard, and did her best to push down the feelings that started welling up in her chest.  _Shit._  There was no way she'd be able to say no to that.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Work functions are no fun...unless you bring a friend.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	9. Fake Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're less than halfway through and this story is actually starting to get more attention than my last one, which I didn't expect (the last one was really fluffy)! This is only my second fic, so I'm still not super confident, but I'm thrilled you all seem to like it.
> 
> That being said, the next two chapters aren't exactly the happiest. Keep in mind, we're following fairly standard rom-com tropes, and usually in a rom-com, someone manages to seriously screw things up for a little bit. The good news is, things almost always improve.
> 
> Speaking of rom-com tropes, if anyone has any requests there are still a couple of chapters I don't have completely planned. I can't guarantee anything, but let me know if there's anything you'd like to see!

BB had become increasingly demanding since Kylo had left. He'd been gone for almost two and a half weeks to help negotiate some sort of new merger or whatever. Truthfully, Rey had zoned out about ten seconds into his explanation for the trip. All she really caught was that he had a work trip, he needed someone to feed BB (not that it was a difficult task), and she'd have the apartment to herself for a considerable block of time.

It was a relief, if Rey was being honest. This feeling was probably exactly why people recommended not living with someone you might be romantically interested in. Not that she was, or ever would be. Probably.

_Maybe._

Oh, who was she kidding?

Rey sighed, and flopped backward onto her bed. When he left, she swore to herself that she'd use the time to figure out how she felt about everything, but suddenly there were only a few days left and she'd gotten no closer to an answer. He made her feel things, that was for sure. The issue was, those things weren't all positive. Sure, "hope", "butterflies", "comfortable", "cared for", and maybe even "adoration" made the list...but so did "rage" and "annoyance". Sometimes, even "murderous".

"BB, what do you suggest?" she glanced over at the orange and white fluff ball that slept on one of her pillows. Since Kylo had left, the little cat had claimed that spot and only seemed to leave it when she wanted food.

"No response, huh? Not even a meow?" Rey sighed dramatically. "Some help you are. Won't even share any advice."

 _Advice_. Maybe that's what she needed.

Rey sat up and reached for the phone that sat on her bedside table, then sent a quick group message to Rose and Jess.

* * *

"Okay, what's so important that caused you to be cryptic over the phone?" Jess dropped the paper bag she held down onto the kitchen counter and took out three pints of Ben & Jerry's.

Rey had requested a sleepover. Childish, maybe, but it was something they'd been doing since they'd met in college, and none of them seemed to be interested in growing out of it.

"Just getting bored here by yourself?" Rose asked.

She'd already changed into pajamas when they arrived, and the pizza delivery guy had happened to show up just a minute or two before them. At least  _some_  things were working out in her favor.

"Uh, Rey," Jess smirked. "Are those  _your_ sweatpants?"

Rey blushed and turned her back to Jess so she could put the ice cream in the freezer for later. "Of course they are."

"So why are they way too big on you?" Rose giggled, knowing full well that the sweatpants weren't Rey's.

"Okay, so maybe I happened to accidentally wash them with my clothes," Rey shrugged. "They're comfortable. I don't see the big deal."

"Right," Jess chuckled. "So this is about Kylo, then."

Rey sighed and nodded, preparing for the onslaught of judgement from her friends. They always meant well, of course, but she was sure they'd be a little hesitant to encourage her to  _go for it_.

"Pay up."

Rey glanced back toward Jess, confused. When she noticed Rose reluctantly hand over a ten dollar bill, she laughed. "Did you seriously bet on whether or not this was about him?"

Rose nodded.

"You two are unbelievable."

* * *

Later that evening, the pizzas had basically been demolished and Rey was halfway through a pint when Rose finally paused the movie and turned toward her.

"Rey, we've eaten pizza, we've eaten ice cream, and we're halfway into our second movie for the night. At some point you're going to have to talk to us."

Jess glanced over from the recliner she was bundled up on and nodded. "She's right. Judging by the amount of carbs you've gone through, I'd say you clearly need to talk."

Rey took a deep breath and covered the pint, reluctantly returning it to the coffee table.

"You guys promise not to get all judgy about it?"

Jess just rolled her eyes, but Rose replied softly, "No judging, we promise."

"Okay," Rey began. She paused, deciding whether or not to go for another spoonful of ice cream.  _Ice cream really won't help_. "I think I like him but I'm really, really confused about it. He was a complete jerk for months and it seems like that's changed, but it's not like I can just forget about it. I mean, he's said some  _truly_ awful things."

"We were witnesses for some of that..." Rose commented.

"Yeah, so, awful things," Rey continued. "But the more we get to know each other, the better things get. And now I think...I think I have feelings for him."

Jess snorted. "The cuddling and stargazing probably helped with that."

"Cuddling?" Rose's eyes shot over to meet Rey's. "When did that happen?"

"How did you know about that?" Rey asked in disbelief. She hadn't exactly told anyone.

"You know that Kylo and Poe are best friends, right?" Jess shrugged. "Poe didn't say much about what he and Kylo talked about, but I have a bit of an idea. I'm not sure if it helps, but I got the impression that he has some pretty strong feelings for you."

"Really?" Rey asked softly.

Jess smiled. "Yeah, definitely."

"I don't want to be a downer," Rose said carefully, "but are you sure this is such a great idea? I'm not saying don't tell him, but...maybe make a pros and cons list first? Or...something?" She sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt and it seems like he doesn't always consider your feelings."

"That's true," Rey admitted. "See my problem? I have more than enough reason to convince myself either way."

"So, wait it out," Jess sighed. "Just, enjoy hanging out with him and see what happens. Maybe this is just lust," she suggested, "nobody could fault you for that. If, after a while, you still feel like he's boyfriend material, then say something. If he reverts back to being a jerk when he realizes you're not going to just give in and hook up with him, then you'll be glad you put off saying anything."

Rey considered it for a minute before nodding. It was good advice. Reasonable advice.

It was certainly better advice than BB had offered.

* * *

Kylo breathed a sigh of relief when he parked in their driveway. He'd never been so thankful to return from a business trip, and he knew exactly why this time was different. This time, it felt like he had someone to come home to.

Speaking of, he noticed that Rey had just opened the front door. She was dressed casually, likely headed out to the garage, and she was bundled up in a dark green fleece jacket. Her eyes lit up when she saw his car.

"You're back!" he heard her exclaim happily as he stepped out of the car.  _Was she happy to see him?_

"Yeah," he nodded, walking over toward her. Without giving it a second thought, he wrapped her into a hug.

"Oh!" she laughed, surprised. "Uh, hi."

Kylo let her go and backed away sheepishly. "Sorry, I just missed you."

Rey smiled shyly. "It's okay, I just wasn't expecting it." She stood awkwardly for a minute before remembering why she'd been leaving in the first place. "Oh, right," she shook her head, "I actually have to go to work."

"I'll see you tonight?" Kylo asked, his eyes adorably wide.

"Actually," she answered, "I'm meeting Poe, Jess, and Finn for dinner at some new restaurant downtown. You can join us if you'd like."

"No Rose?"

"She's visiting her sister."

"I'd like to," he smiled, "but I'm exhausted. Jet lag." Kylo blinked when he noticed her frown.  _Did she actually want him there?_ Changing his mind, he added, "but, maybe I'll have time for a nap. Text me the address?"

"Sure," she nodded. "I'll see you later, then."

* * *

Kylo had no idea how he'd gotten so lucky, but somehow the seating arrangements at dinner had landed him in the booth next to Rey. He managed to resist the urge to hug her again, but it was a herculean effort, especially when she was so close that their sides were pressed together.

"How was your trip?" Poe asked halfway through dinner, glancing up at him from across the table.

"Too long," Kylo sighed, "but we closed the deal. We're even having a big party tomorrow to celebrate it."

"That's great," Rey smiled, "But honestly, I'm not even sure what you do."

"I'm in mergers and acquisitions."

"That sounds so boring," Finn blurted. "Sorry, but it really does."

Kylo laughed, much to Finn's relief. "That's okay, it can be boring. I'm not even sure I enjoy it much anymore. I'm dreading the party tomorrow."

"Why?" Poe frowned. "Aren't those things really fancy, and catered?"

"Yeah," Kylo nodded. "But I already spend every day avoiding my coworkers, and these parties are all about mingling and being social. I always end up feeling awkward at them."

"So bring a date, then," Poe replied. "Someone who can be a bit of a buffer."

Kylo blinked and avoided looking over at Rey. He glared a little at Poe, who really, should have known better. "Poe, you know I'm not seeing anyone."

"Don't bring a real date, then," Jess shrugged. "Bring Rey. She's fun at parties."

He finally took the opportunity to glance over at Rey, and noticed she'd started to turn a bit red. "Well, it would definitely make the party more bearable…"

* * *

"I can't  _believe_ you're bringing her tonight."

Hux hadn't stopped pacing across the floor of his office since Kylo had mentioned his plans. It had been almost ten minutes.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Kylo explained for what felt like the tenth time.

"Do you have any idea what a nightmare living together would be if things don't work out?" Hux asked. "It's just not smart."

"What's not smart?"

Kylo looked up and saw Phasma standing at the door, seeming somewhat amused by Hux's pacing.

"I'm bringing Rey to the party tonight. Hux thinks it's a bad idea."

"I don't just think it's a bad idea," Hux snapped. "I know it is. First of all, you've been distracted for weeks. I had to remind you three times about the new terms of the merger while we were in a meeting last week because you were daydreaming  _and_ you almost missed the conference call this morning because you were late.  _Again_.

"I wanted to make her breakfast...she just spent the last few weeks taking care of BB. I thought it'd be nice." Kylo shrugged, knowing Hux wouldn't like the excuse.

"Second," Hux interrupted, "You  _never_  get involved with someone you live with. Do you have any idea what would happen if you  _did_ end up dating this girl? Suddenly you make a jump from being roommates to having a live-in girlfriend. That's a huge commitment, especially for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Kylo asked, frowning.

"You don't have the best track record," Phasma explained delicately. "I think he's just saying that we've never even seen you in a relationship, so it's a little surprising that you'd consider starting one with someone you live with. There's a lot of implication there. It's a lot more serious."

His frown deepened. "So you think this is a bad idea too?"

"Oh, no," Phasma laughed. "I think it's hilarious that  _Kylo Ren_ , resident playboy, is finally completely smitten with a woman and it turns out that she's the type who doesn't fall for any of his usual tricks. This is great.  _Pure gold_. Honestly, I feel like I need some popcorn or something."

"You're really not helping. And I'm not  _smitten_." Kylo answered dryly.

Phasma sighed and smiled. "I'm being serious, though. You've never gotten this worked up over someone before. I say it's worth the risk."

"And I say you're an idiot if you listen to her," Hux piped up.

"Stop being bitter, Hux," Phasma scowled. "Just because you're a bit of a miserable human being doesn't mean we all have to be." She looked back at Kylo and gave him a small smile. "Be charming. I'm sure she'll have a fun time tonight. You don't have to tell her how you feel if you aren't ready to. Just, I don't know…" she shrugged. "Flirt with her."

* * *

Rey found herself pacing in front of her closet. She'd tried on half a dozen of her dresses, which really seemed quite pointless since she knew what each one looked like already.  _It's not a date_ , she kept reminding herself.

She'd firmly decided to take the advice Jess had given her a few nights earlier. There would be  _no_ rushing into anything, casual or not. Instead, Rey was going to take a step back and just see what happened. She'd be friendly and have fun, but there would be no discussing  _feelings_. Certainly not tonight.

But that decision was exactly what had led to her current predicament. Every dress she had just screamed  _date_. After a lot of hemming and hawing, she finally narrowed it down to two, and when she saw the time, she just gave up and flipped a coin.  _Green it is_. Rey held up the dress that was overlaid with lace. It was relatively conservative with cap sleeves and a skirt that fell just above her knees. The color brought out the green in her eyes, and Rey  _loved_  how the skirt moved when she turned.

It would have to do.

* * *

"Ren, why do I keep getting weird looks from people? Is there something wrong with this dress? Is it too casual?"

It was the oddest thing. The minute they'd arrived at the top floor of the building, Rey had felt everyone's eyes on her. Whenever she turned, she caught people averting their eyes, and she was pretty sure two women had been whispering about her in the bathroom. Even when she'd gone to coat check to leave her jacket and umbrella, they looked at her like she had multiple heads.  _What the hell was wrong with these people?_

"Darling, there's nothing wrong with your dress," he said nervously.

Rey was annoyed that he'd called her "darling"  _yet again_ , but she ignored it because it wasn't nearly as much of a bother as all the attention she seemed to be getting.

"Well obviously something's going on," she replied, clearly on edge.

"I...I might have... _accidentally_  implied that I was bringing my girlfriend."

Rey's head whipped around to face him, her anger obvious. "How the hell do you  _accidentally_  imply that?"

Kylo frowned, suddenly became very interested in staring at the floor, and didn't answer.  _Clearly it hadn't been much of an accident_.

"I'll cook and pack your lunches for the next week if you play along," he whispered cautiously. "I'd really like some of my coworkers to start minding their own business and I think it'll help if they get the impression that I'm in a boring, stable relationship."

"How  _dare_  you," she hissed. "You could have at least told me before we got here."

"But then you wouldn't have come," he muttered.

"No, I wouldn't have," she seethed. "And you're going to have to do a hell of a lot more than packing lunches. This is completely ridiculous. Exactly how long did you plan on maintaining this little charade before you let me know?"

Kylo cleared his throat and continued to avoid making eye contact with her.

"Ren," she growled, a more important question now on her mind. "How far did you plan on going with this?"

He coughed and glanced down at her sheepishly. "I just figured we'd have to seem like a real couple…I thought we could dance, spend some time together, maybe have a quick kiss..."

Rey scoffed. "And you just assumed I'd go along with that, without you asking? I swear to  _God_ , when we leave here I'm going to take these damn heels off and beat you to death-"

"Quite the threat, coming from such a tiny woman."

Rey found herself incredibly offended (she was nearly average height,  _thank you very much_ ), and turned around to see who the interrupting offender was. She found herself looking at someone's chest, and when she looked up, she was glaring at a rather terrifying looking bald man.

"Uh, Rey, this is my boss," Kylo explained quietly, "Mr. Snoke."

"You better not be charging her hourly rate to your business account," the man replied wearily, barely bothering to acknowledge her presence.

Rey's jaw dropped. " _My hourly rate_?" she repeated, her tone a mix of disbelief and outrage.

"I just assumed." Snoke shrugged. "It seems like something he'd do. He never brings women to these things, and based on the threat you made you clearly aren't a girlfriend."

"Go fuck yourself," Rey spat. "I am  _not_  a whore."

"Maybe we should go," Kylo whispered nervously. He was planning to just smile, nod, and get the hell out of there, but that was until he saw how upset Rey looked.

Kylo sighed and turned to face his boss. "She's my roommate," he corrected, far too politely for Rey's taste, "and I really don't appreciate your implication."

Rey sputtered a string of swears in Kylo's direction. He was letting this asshole off  _far_  too easily.

She practically exploded in rage when Snoke chuckled and replied, "Roommate, huh? Must be a good lay if you're letting her talk to you like that."

Before she had a chance to consider the consequences, Rey's fist connected with the man's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Bottle episode, anyone?
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	10. Stuck in an Elevator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how the chapter title sounds, but here's my warning - this is not going to go the way you think it will. I'll post the next chapter in a bit. I'm not cruel enough to leave it at this :)

Kylo pressed the elevator button a dozen times and started pacing the hall again.

"I said I was sorry," Rey whined. "I mean, I'm  _not_  sorry...he deserved it. But I can at least admit I probably shouldn't have punched your boss."

"You punched my boss," Kylo repeated blankly, as if he was trying to process what had just happened. "You punched my boss at a giant work party. A party our new business partners were at."

"Yeah…" Rey nodded meekly. "Yeah, I did." She paused, before continuing. "He really did deserve it though."

"I'm not saying he didn't," Kylo admitted. "I'm just trying to...process."

Rey sighed. "Think he'll press charges?"

She glanced at him curiously after he laughed. "You really think he'd admit that a woman broke his nose?"

Rey winced. "Do you think I broke it?"

"Oh yeah," Kylo nodded. "Definitely broken."

"You know," she complained, inspecting the dark tinge that was now spreading across her knuckles, "people never warn you about how much it hurts to punch someone."

"You're lucky you didn't break your hand," he huffed. "I don't know who taught you how to punch, but do me a favor and remind me not to piss you off in the future. That looked like a brutal hit."

"Shit," Rey groaned. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I punched your boss."

"Don't be sorry," he shrugged. "You aren't wrong, he really did deserve it. I'm sorry about what he said."

Rey crossed her arms and nodded in agreement. "Where the hell is the elevator?"

They'd been waiting for nearly ten minutes, and she was in a rush to leave before anyone decided to call the police. Despite Kylo's assurances that charges wouldn't be pressed, she didn't exactly feel like testing that theory.

"Oh, screw this," she growled impatiently. "I'm going to take the stairs."

"We're not taking the stairs," Kylo argued. "We're almost thirty floors up. You're not making it down thirty flights in those heels."

"Then I'll take them off," Rey snapped. Just as she leaned down to start removing them, the elevator dinged.  _Finally_.

* * *

"Did I mention on the way up that I hate elevators?" Rey was bouncing lightly on her heels. She just couldn't stay still. This had to be the  _slowest_  elevator in the world, and all she could think of were the odds that she might plummet to her death. It was a nice elevator, sure. Fancy, even. Fucking lot of good that was doing now if it couldn't get her to the first floor in under a minute.

"Just calm down. We're almost there."

She glared at him. How  _dare_  he tell her to calm down? Being mad at him might not have been logical, but Rey also wasn't just mad at  _him_. She was mad at  _everything_. She was mad at Jess and Poe for suggesting she attend this damn event, Kylo for claiming she was there as his girlfriend when she'd already decided to take things slow, all the attendees for apparently thinking it was the oddest thing  _ever_  that she could possibly be dating him, that bald idiot for deserving a broken nose, the elevator for being a fucking death trap….

Really, she was angry with everything.

"Shut up," she snapped.

He sighed, and turned to face her. "What's bothering you?"

She was about to scream that  _everything_ was bothering her when the elevator came to an abrupt halt. The lights went out a few seconds later.

"You've  _got_  to be kidding me."

"I think the power's out," Kylo said calmly.

"Don't elevators usually return to the first floor when that happens?" she asked desperately.

Kylo cleared his throat and replied softly, "I don't think this one will."

Rey took a deep, calming breath, and sat on the floor, crossing her legs. An emergency light had come on, illuminating the elevator in a soft red glow.

"I'm going to text Hux and Phasma to see if they know what's going on."

Rey ignored him and kept breathing slowly, working on calming herself down. This evening was  _not_  going according to plan. Not that she'd had a plan, exactly, but if she'd had a plan it sure as hell wouldn't have involved punching a man and getting trapped in an elevator.

Kylo interrupted the silence a few minutes later, sliding down the wall to sit next to her. "Hux said the storm knocked the power out. It sounds like quite a few areas are out, but since this building is near a hospital we'll probably get it back quickly. He heard it might be about an hour."

"Okay," Rey whispered after a moment. "An hour. I can handle that."

"How can I help?" he asked gently.

"Distract me?"

"Hmmm, okay," he thought for a minute. "Let's chat. Uh...what's your dream job?"

Rey snorted. "I work for your dad, who, despite what you may think, is a wonderful boss. I make good money, enjoy what I do, and I basically set my own hours. I think I already have my dream job. How about you?" She glanced over at him. "I have a feeling you didn't want to work in mergers and acquisitions as a child."

"Hardly," he chuckled. "I wanted to write. Actually, I had a really specific plan. I wanted to work in Maz's bookstore and write whenever business was slow. I always loved how quiet it was there."

"You're kidding!" Rey laughed. "That's adorable. I can't see you having the patience to deal with some of the customers, though." She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I can think of a couple regular customers who were consistently a pain in the ass."

He smirked and rolled his eyes dramatically.

She sighed sadly, "It really is a shame the shop is closing, though. It's been one of my favorite places for years. You're right - there's something really wonderful about how quiet and peaceful it was. It was always so relaxing."

Kylo nodded. "Yeah, I'll miss it too."

* * *

"Poe actually did that?" Rey cracked up, resting her head against the elevator wall. "No  _wonder_  Hux hates him!"

Kylo had been surprisingly successful, distracting Rey with a never ending supply of stories about growing up with Poe. She'd felt calm for about a half an hour, and with the exception of her aching hand, she felt pretty good.

"If Hux had been more careful with his car keys it never would have happen," Kylo laughed. "It took him  _forever_  to get all the popcorn out, and it still smelled like a movie theater a year later."

Rey snickered. "That's hilarious. What did Hux do to deserve it?"

"I don't even know! I have no idea which one of them started it. They spent  _years_  doing shit like that to each other."

"That's terrible," Rey smirked. "Funny, though."

"Please don't get any ideas. I prefer my car  _without_  popcorn."

"Might want to watch what you say, then," she laughed. "Especially now that I have a good idea of how to get revenge."

"Watch what I say?" he glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm not sure I do," he teased. "I think, maybe I need an example."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Don't even start."

"Start what?" he whispered suggestively, leaning closer.

She cleared her throat and stood up, walking to the other side of the elevator. She'd been alright for a while, but the feeling of walls closing in was starting to seep back into her mind.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" he said softly, still sitting next to where she'd been.

Rey looked over at him and smiled briefly. "You didn't," she replied quietly, "but thanks."

They waited in silence for a minute before Kylo stood up, and took a few steps closer to her. "Getting nervous again?"

She nodded.

"I have a better way of distracting you, if you'd like."

Rey eyed him suspiciously, not entirely sure she liked the tone of his voice. "What did you have in mind?" she asked cautiously.

"I think you can probably guess," he said, his voice deeper than it usually was. He took a step closer.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rey asked quietly.

Kylo tilted his head and quirked his mouth into a slight smile. "Like what?"

"Like…" she swallowed. "Like you want to kiss me."

"Maybe I do," he chuckled.

An hour or two earlier, she might have swooned a bit at that comment. Rey could admit that. Now, though? All she could focus on was getting out of the elevator and back to the condo. Sure, he looked incredible in a suit (not that she had ever doubted he would), and sure, the idea kissing him wasn't exactly repulsive. But there was a pair of pajamas calling her name, she'd been wearing heels for far too long, and suddenly she found herself regretting the fact that they hadn't been at the party long enough to appreciate the catering.

Whatever Rey's reasoning, she just  _really_ wasn't interested in making out with anyone right now, no matter how much part of her might have liked the idea.

"I don't want you to," she replied in a soft voice. Rey really didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it just wasn't the best time for a romantic tryst in an elevator. Besides, wasn't she supposed to be taking things slow?  _Yes_ , a voice reminded her. She'd already decided to chill out and not rush into anything.  _There. Decision made. No kissing._  She stepped further away, her back running into the elevator wall behind her.

He smirked, and took a step closer, then sighed and said slowly, "You know I can take whatever I want."

Rey blinked, and she scoffed. The butterflies she'd been feeling were gone in an instant.

"Excuse me?" she deadpanned.

Kylo took another step toward her, firmly pressing her against the wall. He'd obviously either completely missed her tone or had been stupid enough to ignore it. "I said," he murmured, " _you know I can take whatever I want._ "

"Really," she scoffed again. "I gave you a chance to take that back and you decide it's smart to double down?"

For the second time that night, Rey's hand met someone's face. At least this time it was a slap and not a punch.

Kylo took a quick step back, fairly shocked by her reaction. "Did….did you just slap me?"

"You're lucky I didn't do more. Don't touch me," she hissed. "You," she pushed him toward the opposite side of the elevator, "stay on that side."

"Rey, what the  _fuck_?"

"Not a word," she snarled. "You don't get to talk to me right now. I don't want to hear it. That's your side," she pointed to the opposite wall. "Stay there. I can't  _believe_ you'd think that was acceptable."

Kylo blinked. What the  _hell_  had just happened _?_

* * *

Rey didn't say another word the rest of the evening. Not to him, at least. She probably said a few things to the driver of the cab she hailed, but Kylo didn't know for sure because he certainly hadn't been invited to join her.

The elevator had finally started back up about twenty minutes  _after_  what Kylo was now referring to as "the incident", and Rey had rushed out of the building, clearly wanting to get some space. He was at a loss. She was apparently so angry with him that she didn't even want to join him on the ride home.

Kylo sighed, assuming they could talk when they both got home, which was why he currently found himself in pajamas, sitting on the couch, waiting for her to arrive.

* * *

He woke up to hear someone pounding on the front door. Glancing around, he realized he'd fallen asleep on the couch, and he groaned, remembering the events of the night before. The knocks on the door grew more insistent, and he finally got up to answer them.

"We need to talk," Poe said quickly, pushing past him and entering the condo. Finn followed behind him, looking incredibly angry.

"Mind explaining why a furious woman showed up at my apartment last night, refusing to tell me why she was so mad?" Finn demanded, his arms crossed.

Kylo blinked. He'd just assumed he hadn't heard Rey come home, but apparently she never had.

"Calm down, Finn," Poe sighed, "we don't even know what happened yet."

"All I know is that he did something to piss her off," Finn barked. "That's enough for me."

Kylo felt his chest seize. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd done, but Hux had obviously been right.  _This had been a terrible idea_. He never should have tried to make anything happen with Rey.

Poe glanced down at the couch where Kylo had dropped, his head buried in his hands.

"Hey, relax," he said quietly. "Just tell us what happened."

Finn's eyes rolled. He crossed his arms and huffed as though he couldn't believe Poe wasn't immediately condemning him.

Kylo took a deep breath and explained. "A lot of things went wrong last night. My boss said some really offensive things and Rey ended up punching him. Then we got stuck on an elevator-"

"Oh, I'm sure that went well," Poe groaned. "Rey doesn't like small spaces."

"Yeah," Kylo nodded. "I noticed. We started talking so she'd be distracted, and that was working out pretty well."

"Just get to the part where you upset her," Finn snapped.

"Right, so, elevator," Kylo continued. "I told her she looked beautiful...and she ended up slapping me."

"Okay, that's not a rude thing to say. It must have been something else," Poe shrugged. "What happened right before she slapped you?"

Kylo thought for a minute. "Well, I kind of had her pressed up against the elevator wall, and we were talking about kissing. I was about to kiss her and I said something like 'You know I can take whatever I want.'"

Poe blinked. His eyes were impossibly wide. "Holy shit, Kylo," he breathed, "how did you get from ' _You look beautiful'_  to  _that_?"

Finn's mouth was gaping. "You actually said that to a woman?  _Are you out of your mind?_ "

Kylo shrugged. "Phasma said to be charming…"

"Oh God," Poe groaned. "That's not charming! Kylo, I don't understand. You're usually a nice guy. Who taught you to flirt like a douchebag? Do you see the difference between ' _You look beautiful_ ' and ' _I can take whatever I want'_? Honestly, how often do lines like that work for you?"

"I do just fine," Kylo grumbled. "And I thought women liked confident men."

"Confident, yes," Poe nodded. "Rapey... _no_. Definitely not."

Kylo's eyebrows shot up. "Oh,  _fuck_ ," he swore, loudly, finally repeating what he'd said in his head.

"Are you really just now realizing how bad that sounded?" Finn was finally laughing. "Man, I came here to yell at you but this...this is just ridiculous. It's like you've never talked to a woman before."

"I...I didn't mean it like that," Kylo stammered.

"Okay, so, that was a great example of what  _not_  to say." Poe thought for a minute. "If you ever manage to get her to talk to you again, I'd say you should just avoid pick-up lines, or, pretty much anything you'd normally say to get a woman to come home with you."

"So what am I supposed to say?"

"Think of something you've talked about with Rey and use it to say something nice to her." Poe offered, "What's something personal you've talked about?"

"She mentioned her parents," Kylo suggested, "how she was adopted, came from nothing...you know about her past, right?"

"Yeah..." Poe said hesitantly. "Okay, but how would you use that to say something nice?"

"Well," Kylo thought for a minute. "I guess I'd say something like...' _your parents were nothing, and you're nothing...but not to me_.'"

"No, Kylo," Poe groaned, pulling his hands through his hair, "I'm pretty sure that qualifies as negging. Just, as a general rule, we don't neg girls we like."

Finn chuckled. "Just use some common sense, man. Don't you think it might be a little insulting to be told you're nothing?"

"Sure," Kylo nodded, considering the point Finn made, "but she's not nothing to me, she's... _everything_."

"Well that's nice sentiment," Finn snorted, "but if you say it like you said it before you're just going to get slapped again."

"Things were going well for a while," Kylo responded defensively. "We had a great time camping."

"Yeah, of course you did," Poe explained, exasperated. "You had a great time camping because you made sure she was warm, you made her s'mores, stargazed with her, cuddled, and you were just... _you_. You didn't corner her in a small space and say creepy shit."

"Poe, I was terrified the whole time we were in that tent," Kylo exclaimed. "I was so close to telling her how I felt, and the whole time I just felt so... _vulnerable_." He spat the word, as if it disgusted him.

Finn rolled his eyes. "You're  _supposed_  to feel that way. That's what you should be aiming for. If you want more than just a night with someone you usually have to be willing to put your feelings on the line. Stop talking to her like she's a woman you're trying to bring home from a bar who's going to leave before breakfast and talk to her like she's a friend."

"But I want her to be more than a friend," Kylo frowned.

"That's it, I'm calling it," Finn threw up his arms. "He's hopeless."

"Finn, he's not hopeless." Poe sighed. "Kylo, here, do this. Apologize for what you said and explain that you didn't realize how bad it sounded. Then tell her how much you liked how close you two got while camping and explain that you've been weird since you got back because your feelings for her scared you. That's all true, right?"

"Yeah," Kylo nodded. "You don't think that'll freak her out?"

Finn sighed dramatically. "Let me remind you that you are basically a giant, and she's an adorable little five and a half feet tall in heels, and you cornered her in an elevator and said something  _fairly_  threatening." Finn rolled his eyes. "Telling her you adore her and that you've been an idiot because that scares you will not freak her out."

"He's right," Poe agreed. "One way or another, you  _really_  need to apologize."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: I've heard Slap-Slap-Kiss is a popular trope. I've chosen to take it literally, and we already had the slap.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	11. Slap-Slap-Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter but I'd call this a bit of a transition chapter, so that seems fairly normal. This chapter is probably my favorite so far. Hopefully you'll agree. Enjoy!

Bundled in borrowed pajamas and a cozy fleece blanket, Rey had finally calmed down. Of course, it had only taken all night and about four cups of decaf mint tea. After the nightmare of an evening she'd had, the only option she'd seen was to crash on Finn and Rose's couch. After all, their apartment had been her home for a few years, and right now, Rey needed to be somewhere she could relax.

"More tea?" Rose offered from the kitchen.

Rey shook her head, and groaned, snuggling back into a pillow. "Can I just stay here forever?" she whined.

"Stay as long as you want," Rose offered. "I wish you'd tell me what happened, though."

Rey sighed and nodded. "Did Finn already leave? I have a feeling he'd end up in jail if he heard this."

Rose didn't answer, and Rey noticed that she seemed to be hiding something. She was terrible at hiding things from anyone, especially Rey.

"Rose…" Rey asked suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me?"

The woman cleared her throat and pursed her lips. "Yes, Finn left."

" _Rose_ …" Rey repeated, knowing her friend had left something out.

"He left," Rose explained, "and I'm pretty sure he went to confront Kylo. I think Poe was with him."

"Oh, I'm sure  _that'll_  go swimmingly," she muttered.

"Rey, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Rey shrugged, deciding she'd rather not discuss it. "Nothing's going to happen with him. I took the advice Jess gave and she was right. Now I'm glad I never said anything about my feelings."

"Okay," Rose replied softly. "But you know if you need to talk, I'm here, right?"

Rey glanced up at her friend and nodded, giving her a small smile. "Yeah, Rose, of course I know. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Rose returned her smile with a sad one of her own. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Go to work, I guess," Rey sighed. "My shift started almost an hour ago and Han's already called twice. Of course, Kylo's called three times as much. The Solo men are nothing if not persistent," she muttered. "But I can't just keep ignoring my phone."

* * *

Rey was nearly an hour and a half late when she finally arrived at the garage. She'd never really been late before, so she didn't think Han would be  _too_  ticked off.

She was wrong.

"Kid!" he barked from the office. "In here. NOW."

Rey winced at his tone and reluctantly entered the office. She waited for him to talk before flooding him with excuses as to why she was late. Really though, how was she going to explain this?  _Sorry, boss, I physically assaulted multiple men, including your son, last night and then ran off to hide and drink tea_.

Something told her Han wouldn't respond well to that explanation.

"Ben's called almost a dozen times this morning," Han grumbled. "I didn't even know he had this number. I don't know what he's so upset about, but could you tell him to stop calling?"

Rey paused. "We had a bit of a falling out."

"Yeah," Han huffed. "I got that. Need to talk about it?"

"With you?" Rey smirked, the closest she'd gotten to a real smile since the day before. "You really want to talk with me about how frustrating your son is?"

"If it's bothering you," Han shrugged, "yeah."

"Thanks, Han, but I think it would be a little weird," she explained. "And I'm just not ready to talk about it."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Han asked, frowning.

"No, no," she shook her head. "It was just some stuff he said."

"Oh," Han sighed. "Well, I'm not going to push you to talk about it, kid. And I'm definitely  _not_  encouraging you to try and date my son," he grumbled. "But you should know that he takes after me in a few ways. Sometimes he says stupid shit. I'm not excusing it, but it's something to keep in mind."

"Looking back at it," he snorted, "I'm surprised Leia put up with me. Before we started dating I wasn't always the nicest guy."

Rey considered what he'd said, but didn't respond.

"Look, you don't have to talk to me about it," Han repeated. "Just, what should I tell him if he calls again? The phone's been ringing almost every ten minutes."

"Tell him..." Rey hesitated. "Tell him I'll be home a little after five."

* * *

5 PM. She could wait until then. Rey paced back and forth in front of the truck she was supposed to be inspecting. Only four hours to go. Four hours wouldn't kill her.  _Right_?

And really, why was she in a rush? She had no idea what she was going to say when she got back to the condo.  _Hey Kylo, sorry I slapped you but I kind of want to do it again because what you said was super creepy._  No. That wouldn't do.

 _Hey, Kylo, I'm super mad at you because I kind of adore -_ no,  _adored_  -  _you and you completely screwed everything up, so thanks for that_.  _Great job_.  _Really well done._

That wouldn't work either.

 _Kylo, you're pretty much the first guy I've ever really liked and now I'm seriously starting to wonder what the fuck's wrong with me_.

Damnit, no, that was bad. So bad.

 _Hey, Kylo, maybe I can forgive you, but I'm not sure we can be friends now, because, frankly, I've definitely pictured you naked_  - NO. That was the worst yet.

Shit. She continued pacing.

Rey was still mad, that much she knew. The issue was, she couldn't decide exactly why she was mad. She certainly wasn't without plenty of options. It was bad enough that he'd basically gotten her to the party under false pretenses, without telling her that everyone thought she was his girlfriend. Add in the fact that he'd crossed a line after she'd told him no, and…well, the fact that she was angry really shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone.

But then, why wasn't she just cutting her losses? Why didn't she just acknowledge the writing on the wall and leave? Just, move out. It's not like she had a year-long lease she was tied down to. If anything, her agreement to stay had just been verbal, and that was far from legally binding.

So why wasn't that her instinct?

Rey paused, and considered it.  _Why on earth did she want to give him another chance?_  The man had been given  _months_  of chances. It was outrageous to offer more. Rey had at  _least_  an ounce of self-respect, so really, the choice should have been quite simple.

And yet, it wasn't.

She sighed and sat on the floor of the garage, leaning her back against the tire of the truck she should have been working on.

Rey was done pretending they could have a relationship. That was certainly  _not_  happening. But, maybe they could still be friends. She nodded to herself.  _Yeah_ ,  _friends_. But only if he acknowledged his mistakes.

 _Friends_. Rey swallowed. Yeah. She could do that.

* * *

It was 5PM and Kylo was pacing nervously by the door. Had he ever paced this much in his life? It seemed like it was a new habit he'd picked up since Rey had moved in. He swallowed nervously.  _Rey_. What was he even going to say to her?

 _Sorry_ , obviously. But, what else? Poe had said to apologize and tell her he'd been so... _off_  because he was freaking out a bit about everything he was feeling. But that was a  _lot_  to admit to a woman who'd just slapped him. What if she just laughed and told him to fuck off?  _He'd probably deserve that_ , Kylo snorted.

He kept walking back and forth between the couch and the staircase, completely ignoring everything but his thoughts until he heard Rey clear her throat. How long had she been standing there, watching him silently panic?

"Hey," she said quietly.

Without warning or cause, his stomach dropped. There was  _no_  way he could tell her. She'd never feel the same and he was just going to end up making a fool out of himself.

"Hi," he replied cautiously.

"So…" Rey began, unsure of what to say.

"I owe you an apology," Kylo interrupted. "Last night I had no idea why you reacted like that, and this morning...well, Poe and Finn came by. I talked to them and they explained how it probably sounded to you. What I said came out completely wrong. I'm sorry, I never meant to make you uncomfortable."

Rey nodded. His apology seemed genuine, and it was probably one of the first ones she'd received from him. "So, you understand why I was so mad?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly. "I want to make it up to you. Can I take you out to dinner? I promise, it'll be a better date than last night was."

"Uh," Rey blinked. "Date?" He couldn't  _possibly_  be that stupid, right?

Kylo nodded.

 _Oh._ Yes, apparently he could be that stupid _. Oy vey._

"I think you've misunderstood the situation," Rey said calmly, doing her best not to sound annoyed or angry. "Last night was not a date, and I'm not getting dinner with you."

"I don't think you're my type. I like  _nice_  men," she added, instantly regretting it.

She winced a bit when she saw the hurt expression cross his face. It didn't stay there long - instead, it morphed into the mask she'd seen him wear every time he'd entered the bookstore.

"Oh do you, sweetheart?" he asked smoothly, raising an eyebrow. "Then why do you never bring any home?"

"Maybe I don't want to subject them to  _you_ ," she snapped.

"Is that what it is?" he responded, raising his voice a bit. "I don't know, Rey, If that was the case I think you'd stay with these  _nice men_  you seem to like. But you're always here, every day and night, tormenting me."

"I'm tormenting  _you_?" She shook her head, her chest filling with rage. "What the hell happened, Ren? You're being  _such_ a…" she paused, searching for the word, "...a  _scoundrel._ "

""A  _scoundrel_?" he inhaled sharply, "Some women like that, you know.'

"Not me _,"_ she hissed, "Like I said, I like  _nice-_ "

Rey had no idea at what point he'd gotten so close. She was so caught up in arguing with him and honestly, in hurting him as much as he'd hurt her, that she just hadn't noticed him move. At this point she was pretty used to the man getting in her space, so it's not like it was a surprise.

The kiss, though?  _That_  was a surprise.

He'd interrupted her, which was just as well because she'd been about to thrust another unnecessarily mean, ice-cold barb into his heart, whether she meant it or not. His lips met hers in a rough, passionate kiss that held every bit of the frustration they'd both felt over the previous months. Her instincts reacted where her brain froze, and she returned the kiss with a fervor that matched his own.

She'd never been kissed like this. It was as if she was the ocean and he'd been on the brink of dying of thirst, or maybe it was the other way around. He poured himself into her, and she happily drowned in him, slotting her lips over his while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly. At some point Rey heard herself moan into him, and he responded by gently meeting her tongue with his own. Hands tangled around waists and through hair, and they pulled at each other, desperate to be closer. All at once, it morphed from rough and passionate to a slow, soft, caressing, and possibly even  _loving_ , kiss.

And that was it. The floodgates had opened, and in an instant they were two different sides of the same coin, finally realizing that they'd been denying their singularity from the moment they'd met.

Nothing could stop what they'd started.

Nothing, except a ringing phone.

Kylo broke the kiss reluctantly and reached for his cell. He shot her an apologetic glance, and explained quietly, "It's work. I should get this."

Rey nodded, frozen in her spot, only focusing on trying to catch her breath. She watched as he walked into the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones.

Her breathing was shaky, and she lifted a hand to her swollen lips, feeling where his had just been.

 _That had not been part of the plan_.

Rey swallowed hard and panicked.

* * *

Kylo left the kitchen a few minutes later and glanced around the living room. Sometime during the phone call he'd only half-listened to, he'd decided to tell her. He needed to tell her, especially after that kiss. If the kiss hadn't made his feelings for her clear, he'd just have to admit them to her himself.

Except, she wasn't there. He looked out the window and saw that she'd left her car, so odds were that she was still in the condo.

 _Maybe she'd gone upstairs_. He walked up and saw that her bedroom door was closed.

"Rey?" he asked through the door. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she responded after a minute. She still hadn't opened the door. "I just need some time to think."

"Rey," he pleaded. "Please talk to me."

She didn't respond. Not even to tell him to go away, or to tell him she'd talk to him later after she felt like she'd gotten enough breathing room.

"Rey," he repeated, sighing. "I just got fired."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Family holidays are always so stress-free, right guys? ….right?
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	12. Did I Mention It's Christmas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holiday-themed fluff. Enjoy!

It had been a week. A quiet, uneventful week, other than a passing snowstorm they'd gotten a day or so earlier. Kylo had been surprisingly absent, and it was putting Rey on edge. They hadn't said more than a dozen words to each other, and instead, they'd settled into a pattern of polite greetings and goodbyes, with nothing in between.

Rey didn't know what to make of it. Each morning she woke up to find a pot of coffee and a muffin ready and waiting for her in the kitchen, but he was never there to join her - not even to make a suggestive comment about how short her pajama shorts were, or to ask how her week was going. It felt empty. Lonely, even. It gave her an idea of what life might be like without him.

She hated it.

Sitting down at the bar in the kitchen, she picked at the chocolate chip muffin he'd left for her, trying to figure out what had happened. She'd gotten him fired. That was pretty awful, she had to admit. The worst part was that he hadn't even gotten mad at her. If anything, he hadn't even reacted to the firing. He'd just begged through the door, asking her to come out and talk about  _them_.

But she hadn't opened the door, because she knew exactly what would have happened if she had. Whether or not it was the right thing to do, she would have kissed him again, and Rey admitted it was possible she would have done a whole lot more than that.

As cheesy as she'd always found the description, she truly felt that her head and heart were in conflict,  _but after that kiss_...Rey sighed. It just wasn't much of a battle anymore. Her head was still fighting, but it was rapidly losing footing, and her heart would have its way before much longer.

No doubt about it.

* * *

"Poe?" Kylo sighed, realizing he'd probably called his friend a little too early in the morning. He'd just settled into the a small table at the back of a cafe, and it was still early enough to be fairly quiet.

"Yeah? What's up?" his friend asked in a tired, grumpy voice. "What'd you do now? I haven't heard from you in a week. Please tell me you managed to fix things."

Kylo huffed. "Sort of? I think?"

"Ugh, Kylo," Poe groaned. "It's too early for this. Just tell me what's going on."

"I apologized. We kissed. I got fired," he answered, keeping his descriptions as short as possible.

"Oh, well that's…" Poe replied, yawning. "Wait, what? I feel like I missed something."

"I apologized," Kylo continued. "And I asked if I could take her out to make it up to her and we got in a bit of an argument that was sort of unexpected, but it must not have been  _that_ terrible because it ended in us kissing, and then Snoke called and fired me."

"Huh. Wait, how did you get fired? Wasn't Rey the one who punched him?"

Kylo sighed. "Snoke didn't  _exactly_  call to fire me. He basically demanded I bring Rey in to give him some sort of apology. It was ridiculous and insulting, considering what he said to her, and I told him that. Actually...I told him a lot of things. Yelled them, mostly, which was probably why he fired me. And when I got off the phone, Rey had closed herself in her room. She said she needed space."

"Right," Poe replied slowly. "Uh. Huh. That's...not really what I thought would happen."

"Not what  _you_ thought would happen?" Kylo snorted. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"So, you told her how you feel?"

Kylo paused. "Not quite _._ "

His friend groaned again, and Kylo heard something that sounded like Poe throwing himself back onto his bed. "Why not?"

"She said she needed space," Kylo shrugged. "And I asked myself ' _What would Poe do?'_  and I thought you'd give her space."

Poe chuckled. "It's an improvement, I guess. Yeah, okay," he nodded, "I guess that's smart. Knowing Rey, she's probably pretty confused right now. How much space are you going to give her?"

"I don't know," Kylo frowned. "That's why I'm calling. I've been trying to stay away from her. I just leave breakfast for her, and I start the coffee maker before I leave for the gym every morning. I've been trying to make sure I'm not around when she wakes up and leaves for work. I'm at a cafe right now. She should be leaving for work soon, so I'll probably go back to the condo when we're done talking."

"You've been leaving her breakfast?" Kylo could hear his friend's smile through the phone. "That's thoughtful of you. I'm not sure I'd keep giving so much space, though. Don't get me wrong, it was a good move, but you should talk at some point. Probably soon. Especially if you kissed. Actually, about the kiss...was it mutual? I mean, did she kiss you back?"

Kylo smiled softly. "Yeah."

Poe chuckled again. "That's a start. And?"

"It was..." he paused, feeling the same overwhelming feeling he'd felt the night he'd held her in the sleeping bag. "It was incredible," he breathed. "I don't think I'll ever want to kiss anyone else."

Poe was quiet for a minute. "It'll be Christmas in a few days - it's her favorite holiday. Tell her then. I have a good feeling about it."

"Okay, I will." Kylo nodded. "Thanks, Poe."

"Hey, Kylo? I mean it, I have a good feeling about this. If I end up being right, you'd better make me your best man."

* * *

After a while, Rey finally stopped picking at the muffin and just decided to bring it to work with her. Maybe by lunch she'd be hungry, but at the moment she really needed to get to the garage. She had three cars waiting there for her, and she was hoping to get at least half the work done before leaving for the day.

She pulled on heavy boots and a cozy jacket before cleaning off her car and driving to the garage. His car was gone. She didn't know where he'd been going. All she knew was that she was missed him. Truly missed him, and it surprised her a bit.  _Wasn't it just a few months ago that she dreaded being around him?_

"Hey kid," Han greeted cautiously when she arrived. "How's it going?"

"Things have been alright," Rey gave him a small smile, knowing full well that it wasn't genuine.

"So, I noticed Ben hasn't been calling…"

Rey sighed. "Han, are you  _trying_ to get me to talk about it? Do you really want to know about my love life?"

"Love life?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. He seemed about ready to pursue that line of questioning before shaking his head, deciding against it.

"I'm just worried about you," he shrugged. "You'd been down all week. Look, kid, I'm not good at this stuff, but I'm not going to lie, I like having you here. I'm allowed to worry about you."

"Oh," Rey said softly. "Well, I like being here. And, we're fine, I think. I'm not mad at him anymore. Honestly, I'm a little worried he might be mad at me. I got him fired."

"Fired?" Han asked, "How'd that happen?"

"Well...I went to a big work party he had," Rey explained, "and his boss had the nerve to suggest I'd been... _hired_  for the evening." She grimaced as Han tensed angrily. "And I  _might_  have broken his nose."

Much to Rey's relief, Han laughed. "Good for you, kid. Did my son back you up?"

"He did," she nodded. "Though, he might regret it now that he's unemployed."

"So…" Han said quietly after a minute. "Should I ask about that 'love life' comment?"

"No," Rey said quickly, blushing a bit. She wouldn't even know how to answer at this point. "You shouldn't."

* * *

Rey ended up getting a considerable amount done. An oil change, a quick diagnostic, a meeting with a customer - overall, she had a surprisingly productive morning. To her relief, Han had stopped asking questions. Not that she minded his concern. If anything, it was heartwarming to hear that he cared, but Rey was too overwhelmed and she still felt really odd about talking to him about her feelings for his son. Sure, Han was like a father to her, but it was still weird.

Leia arrived just after noon with a bag of containers, likely filled with food, and a large sealed envelope.

Rey waved to her from under a hood, and yelled, "Han, Leia's here!"

"I'm actually here for you," Leia smiled widely, coming around the car to say hello. "Well, the food's for him," she explained, "but I was hoping you could drop this off to Ben." She held out the envelope to Rey. "I haven't had much luck getting ahold of him, but he's expecting these. Tell him I need them signed in triplicate and returned in the next few days."

"Okay," Rey replied suspiciously. "What's it for?"

"Nothing, sweetheart," she said warmly, "just business. Nothing interesting, I promise. I'm sure he'll probably tell you eventually."

Rey shrugged. "Alright, sure. I can't promise much, but I'll do my best."

Leia glanced at her oddly, but didn't comment. "So, anyway, what are you up to this Christmas?"

"Normally I'd spend it with Finn and his grandmother," Rey explained, "but things are getting more serious with Finn and Rose, and they're spending the holiday together with her family." Rey smiled, and said quietly. "I helped him pick out a ring a few days ago."

"Really?" Leia gushed. "Oh, that's so sweet!"

"I know," Rey nodded. "I'm so excited for them. But, it means I'm here over Christmas. I figured I'd just watch some sappy Christmas movies and order takeout."

"Absolutely not," Leia laughed. "You'll spend Christmas with us. We always make too much food, and you're practically family anyway."

"Great idea," Han agreed, finally coming out of the office to greet his wife. He smiled at Rey, "We're not taking no for an answer."

"Well, that  _would_ be really nice….I'm not saying no," Rey paused. "Just, let me talk to Kylo about it first."

* * *

Rey arrived home earlier than expected and practically melted against the door when she smelled the delicious aroma that was coming from the kitchen. She followed it and found Kylo taking a lasagna out of the oven, wearing the same adorable apron he'd worn when they cooked dinner together. It still had faint spots from the red sauce she'd splattered him with. Leaning against the kitchen entry, she smiled softly, watching him work.

It took him a few minutes to notice her, and when he finally did, his smile was breathtaking.

"Hey," she greeted him quietly.

He leaned against the counter and replied. "Hey."

"The lasagna smells amazing," she commented, unsure of how to start a conversation after everything that had happened.

"Thanks. I hope it's okay, but I noticed you haven't been eating much," he explained, "unless my mother's been feeding you."

"I've had a lot on my mind."

He nodded. "Yeah, I figured."

"So," Rey took a deep breath. "I told your parents that I can't go to Finn's for Christmas this year and they invited me to join you guys."

"Oh," he smiled, "and what'd you say?"

"I said I'd talk to you," she replied. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't mind."

He chuckled. "Why would I mind?"

"I didn't think you would, but I didn't want to assume," Rey shrugged. "I guess I'll tell them yes. It'll actually be really nice to spend the holiday with them...I know you might not get along well, but they're the closest thing I have to family."

"Well I'm glad you'll be there," Kylo grinned. "But I'll warn you, the minute we get there you're going to be hit with a bunch of personal questions. It happens to me every year."

"Sounds like a typical family, then," Rey laughed. "I think I'll survive. Oh, wait, I forgot," she rummaged through her purse, "Leia told me to give this to you." She held out the envelope. "She said she needs these signed. I think she said something about needing three copies?"

"Right," he nodded. It seemed like he'd been expecting it. "Thanks, I've been wondering if she was going to drop that off."

"What is it?" Rey asked curiously.

He shrugged. "Just business."

"Kylo Ren," she smirked, "are you and your mother keeping secrets from me now?"

He just chuckled, and poured her a glass of wine. "You know, I actually only went by that name for business purposes. Now that I'm," he hesitated, "... _unemployed_ , there's not much sense in using it. It might take me some getting used to, but why don't you call me Ben."

"Okay," Rey said softly, nodding. "Sounds good,  _Ben_."

"Hmm," the sides of his mouth tilted up in amusement. He spent another moment gazing down into her eyes before turning back to the stove.

"What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head. "I never really liked that name, but I like hearing you say it."

* * *

"Are you sure your mother's going to like this sweater?"

The mall was bustling, which shouldn't have been such a surprise since it was only two days before Christmas, and Rey was cursing her past self for not getting her shopping done considerably earlier. Mostly due to nerves, she still hadn't gotten around to talking to Kylo...or, rather,  _Ben_ , and it seemed as though he wasn't going to push her. Rey was relieved, but she found herself wondering when they'd finally talk.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she's going to love it. Rey, stop worrying. She adores you. You could show up with a terrible present and she wouldn't care."

"Yeah, okay," Rey sighed, "that's probably true. Have I mentioned how wonderful your parents are?"

"Maybe they are now," he scoffed. "They've gotten a lot better, trust me. I don't think you'd have loved them this much if you'd grown up with them."

"Trust me, you could have had worse," Rey shrugged, wincing a bit the sad expression he gave her.

"So," she cleared her throat, "Who else is left on the list?"

"Just you, actually."

"Me?" she glanced over at him questioningly.

He chuckled, amused by her surprise. "Did you think I wasn't getting you a present?"

"Well…" Rey hesitated. She  _had_ gotten him one, so it made sense. She smiled. "I guess I should have known better."

"Mhm," he nodded, "and you should know, I'm excellent giving presents."

"Is that a challenge?" Rey laughed.

"Maybe."

* * *

The morning before they left for Han and Leia's, they sat on their living room floor, using the coffee table as a surface to wrap gifts on. Rey had insisted on picking at least three different rolls of wrapping paper, and each one was more garish than the last. She'd even brought ribbon and a whole bag of bows, insisting it was necessary to decorate the wrapped presents.

Ben really didn't understand why.  _Wouldn't it all be thrown away anyway?_  But, Rey insisted on it, and decorating them seemed to make her happy, so he went along with it. Seeing her smile was worth the trouble of curling ribbon.

"Ben, you  _can't_ use that much tape. Your dad won't even be able to open the box!"

He frowned, looking down at the sweater box he'd just wrapped. Rey was probably right. There may have been more tape than wrapping.

"I always wrap like this." Ben shrugged. "So far it hasn't been an issue."

Rey groaned, and playfully yanked the box away. "Why don't I handle this?"

"Okay," he chuckled, "then what can I do to help?"

"Make cocoa?" she smiled widely.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: What's Christmas without mistletoe?
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	13. Under the Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it really Christmas without mistletoe? As if they need an excuse to kiss.
> 
> Happy almost-Easter if you celebrate it! Personally, I tend to spend the day in an Irish pub with my family taking advantage of the half-priced mimosas. Anyway, however you celebrate (or don't celebrate), have a good weekend.

The home they'd parked in front of was a stunning craftsman-style, with beautiful wooden details that were layered over stone. There was a small staircase leading up to a porch that was probably great to read out on during warmer weather. Unfortunately, that warmer weather was many months away, and they currently had to contend with bitter cold, ice, and snow.

"Is this where you grew up?" Rey asked, her eyes still wide. She'd met Ben at the back of his car to help carry the bags of presents and food they'd packed.

Ben glanced over at her and smiled when he noticed the soft flush that had spread across her cheeks due to the cold air. "Yes," he nodded, "and half the surfaces inside are covered with pictures. Do me a favor," he chuckled, "avoid them."

Rey laughed. "Why? I'm sure you were an adorable kid."

"I'm begging you," he groaned, "just  _don't_ ask my mother to take out any photo albums. We'll be stuck here for days."

"Alright, alright," Rey nodded, conceding to his terms. She grabbed two bags filled with presents while he carried a crockpot and the third bag filled with rolls and pastries from a local bakery, and she'd made it halfway to the door before slipping on a patch of ice that had been hidden by a light dusting of snow.

" _Oof,_ " she panted, hitting the ground hard. ' _Shit_."

Ben put the crockpot and bag back in the car, rushing over to where Rey was lying awkwardly. She'd landed poorly, with her ankle twisted under her, and she gasped when she put weight on it to stand up.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, "don't try to stand on it. Does it hurt?"

She nodded, wincing from the pain.

"First you burned yourself on our oven, then nearly broke your hand on my boss's face, and now this?" he chuckled softly, "Could you try being more careful so I don't have to worry about you all the time?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "Oh hush," she ordered, not unkindly. "Just help me up."

Ben was doing just that as Han came out the front door. "Hey, what happened?" he asked, walking across the driveway to help.

"Someone's not quite as graceful as she thought," Ben snickered. "Mind helping with the bags so I can help Rey inside?"

"Sure," Han nodded. "You okay, kid?"

"I'll be fine," Rey grumbled, "as soon as your son stops making fun of me. How was  _I_ supposed to know there was ice?"

She let Ben put his arm around her to help support her as she walked, but she found her ankle letting go as soon as she put a bit of weight on it.

"Okay," he sighed, "that's not going to work." Without warning, she found herself lifted clear off the ground.

"Hey!" she exclaimed in surprise, giggling after a minute. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Carrying you, obviously," he shrugged. "You weren't going to make it in by yourself, and if you'd tried, you might have made things worse. We'll get inside and see how your ankle looks."

Rey planned on arguing against it. She really had, until she took in the feeling of his arms wrapping around her, holding her to his chest as if she was weightless. He had one arm under her knees and another wrapped around her back, cradling her against him.

There was really no point in arguing. This was  _perfectly_  fine, and she drove that point home by nestling her head against his chest and sighing contently.  _Yes_ , she thought,  _this was the right decision_.

Ben didn't even have a chance to knock at the door before a man Rey had never met answered. He was about Leia's height, with sandy blonde and gray hair, and a bit of a wildly untamed beard. His eyes lit up when he saw them standing at the door.

"Ben!" he greeted, "and you brought your girlfriend! This one must be special," he winked at Rey, "sweetheart, I think you're the first girl he's ever brought home for Christmas. Leia's told me a lot about you."

Rey blushed immediately. They hadn't  _exactly_  had a conversation about their feelings. Ben seemed to sense her shyness, because he tightened his grip, holding her a little closer.

"Oh, I'm not- I mean, I-...we're…" Rey stammered, not entirely sure what to say.

"She's my roommate, actually," Ben interrupted, relieving her, "This is Rey."

"Oh," the man replied curiously, "Well hi, Rey. I'm Ben's Uncle Luke."

* * *

Once they got inside, Rey spent at least a few minutes admiring how gorgeous the home's interior was. Light wooden slats covered the walls, reaching all the way up to cover the tall two-story vaulted ceiling that was over the living room. From the entry, Rey could see the stairs that led to what seemed to be a loft-area, and she caught sight of a few doors that probably led to bedrooms. Much of the house was open and spacious, so unlike anywhere she'd ever lived while growing up.

"Want me to put you down on the couch?" Ben asked softly.

She'd completely forgotten he was still holding her. "Sure," Rey nodded reluctantly, not sure she wanted to be put down at all.

He settled her into a spot on the couch, and knelt down with his head at her knees. Rey blinked.

"Uh, Ben," she asked, "What are you doing?"  _Not that she exactly minded him kneeling in front of her, with his head considerably close to certain areas..._

His eyebrow raised and he smirked. It wasn't exactly a suggestive or awkward position, but the tone of her voice made her feelings about it obvious. "Relax. I just thought you'd want your shoes off."

"Oh," Rey cleared her throat. "Right." She shook her head. "Of course."

"And we should see how your ankle is," he explained, finally pulling off one of her shoes. He moved to the side she'd injured and started gently unlacing her boot, then eased it off slowly. "It doesn't look bad," he determined after a minute.

She flinched when he started carefully pressing on the area around her ankle. "Tell me when it hurts, okay?" he asked, continuing to move her foot gently, pressing on various areas.

Rey did as he asked, and as nervous as she'd been, it actually wasn't  _completely_  awful. He seemed to have a surprisingly good idea of what he was doing. "I think it's just a sprain, and it doesn't seem like a bad one," he explained. "You should stay off it for a while. I'll get some ice, and we can wrap it."

"Stay off it?" Rey grumbled. "Are you really confining me to the couch?"

Ben chuckled. "Unless you'd like me to carry you somewhere, yes. And don't complain," he winked. "I know you didn't mind."

Thankfully he'd gotten up and turned toward the kitchen to get ice before Rey started blushing.

* * *

"Dinner's ready," Leia called from the dining room. The table was covered in various dishes and Rey nearly jumped off the couch and sprinted toward it.

"Nope," Ben caught her around the waist, pre-jump. "No way. Sit back down. We do this buffet-style, and everyone usually sits in here to eat while we put on a sappy Christmas movie. Dad will never admit it," he smirked, "but he has a thing for Hallmark Christmas movies. Anyway," he glanced back at Rey, daring her to argue, "you should stay here. I can make you a plate."

She grumbled a little, but finally shrugged and nodded. Food was food, no matter who put it on the plate.

"Allergies? Anything you don't like?"

"No allergies. All I've had today was cocoa," she frowned. "If you don't come back with a massive plate of food I'll be really annoyed."

"Annoyed?" He chuckled. "That's it? No death threats?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "Food.  _Go_."

Luckily, he returned in just a few minutes balancing two large plates, a cup of what looked like eggnog, and a bottle of advil.

"Take two," he suggested, gesturing toward the meds. "It should help with the swelling. Here, I got eggnog too," he said, handing her the glass. "Just be careful. Every time I look over Dad's spiking it," he snorted.

"That's funny," Rey laughed. "Because I've seen Leia add some too."

Ben shook his head. "It's probably half rum by now. We might be better off sharing that glass unless you feel like getting drunk."

"That's probably a good idea."

* * *

Ben had gone in search of Rey. At some point while he was helping Leia clean up, she'd left the couch and she was up walking around on her ankle. He wasn't sure if he was more concerned with her walking around on it, or if he was mostly concerned about what sort of childhood pictures she'd find. Leia seemed to frame every picture she could fit on a wall, even the awful ones - and he wasn't sure how he felt about Rey having lots of ammunition for the next time she decided to tease him.

As he'd predicted, she was glancing over the framed photos that hung in his mother's office.  _Of course_.

"I thought we said we'd avoid the family photos.." Ben cleared his throat, and tilted his head playfully.

Rey jumped a bit, and laughed when she turned to face him. "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't help myself."

"That's okay," he nodded, "I can't say I didn't expect it."

Ben walked over to stand by her, and sighed happily. "I meant to ask, how's your ankle?"

"Fine, I think," she smiled. "Still hurts a bit, though. It's a little swollen, but it should be fine."

"Well, I have some bad news," he said quietly, noticing her smile slip into a frown. "It's not really  _that_ bad. But, I don't think your present will be finished until tomorrow. I was hoping you'd be okay with us exchanging presents at home, maybe tomorrow afternoon?"

"Finished?" Rey raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Well, now I  _definitely_  want to know what it is."

"Too bad," he laughed, "you can have it tomorrow. Think you can handle waiting a whole twenty-four hours?"

"Ehh," she shrugged, jokingly. "I guess we'll find out." A second later she broke into laughter.

 _He could spend the rest of his life watching Rey laugh._  The implication of what he'd just thought hit Ben like a ton of bricks. He listened to his heart pound for a minute, not taking his eyes off her, until he heard Luke call down the hall to them.

"Hey guys, it's snowing pretty hard. Han said you might be better off staying here tonight."

* * *

Han was right - by the time they'd noticed it was snowing, the conditions were bad enough to warrant staying there overnight. Rey didn't seem to mind, and something in Ben's chest melted when he saw how well she fit in with his family. She fit in better than he did.

"Now," Leia instructed, "Luke's already been set up in the guest room down here, and I think we should put Rey in Ben's old room." She looked down at Rey and smiled, "I think you'll like it. We put a cozy daybed in there a few years ago. You should be comfortable there."

Rey agreed, and looked over at Ben. "What about you? I feel bad taking your old room."

"Couch," he answered with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

She frowned, but knew perfectly well that there wasn't any point in arguing with him, especially considering the fact that it was nearly midnight, and she was barely staying awake as it was.

"Rey, you look exhausted," Ben said softly. "You should go to bed. I'll carry you up," he offered, holding his arms out. "I'd rather not see you fall down the stairs."

Rey nodded, fairly relieved. She hadn't really been sure how successful she would have been climbing the stairs herself. The pain in her ankle had been seeping away little by little all evening, but it was still swollen, and she'd been trying to avoid putting weight on it.

Ben lifted her up again and carried her up the stairs, making a point to turn her away from all the elementary school portraits his parents still had hanging up the staircase wall.

"Leia already showed them to me," Rey chuckled, knowing exactly what he was doing. "For the record, your ears were  _adorable_."

He groaned. "Yeah, I  _knew_ I'd regret bringing you here," he teased.

"Oh, stop," Rey laughed. "You know you're having fun."

"Yeah," he nodded, finally arriving at the door to his old bedroom. "I am. Thanks to you."

She blushed a little, and looked down as he gently set her back on her feet.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked softly.

"Of course."

"Why aren't you angry with me?" she asked cautiously. "I'm the reason you lost your job."

"Because it was just a job and you're…" Ben hesitated, "you. Plus," he added, "you aren't exactly the reason I lost my job."

"What do you mean?"

"After what happened I didn't really want to work there anyway, and when Snoke called I kind of lost it. He kept calling you names and he demanded that I bring you in to make some sort of formal apology. I...let's just say I said some things you don't say if you want to keep your job. That's why he fired me." Ben swallowed. "It was worth it.  _You're_  worth it. "

Rey inhaled sharply, and then sighed a bit. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of course I do."

She glanced up into his eyes. They were a beautiful, deep brown. As Rey stared into them, a bit longer than she probably should have, she noticed something barely in her field of vision, and looked further up to see what it was. She burst out laughing when she saw it.

"What's so funny?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. Her only answer was to point up at the mistletoe that had been hung, not so subtly, just over the bedroom door. He snorted, "Sorry. I'll have a talk with my mother about minding her own business. I'm sure this was her doing."

Rey chuckled a bit and smiled. "Actually, it's not such a bad thing."

Ben looked down at her, hesitating, assuming he'd misunderstood. Kissing her would be more than worth it, but he really wasn't in a rush to upset her or get slapped again, so he only responded when she wrapped her arms up and around his neck, pulling him down toward her.

Rey closed her eyes and felt his lips meet hers for the second time. Where their first kiss had started roughly, this one was soft and gentle. His lips glossed slowly over hers, and his arm pulled her hips to his, holding her in a tight embrace. One of her hands rested on his chest, and she used the other to gently curl her fingers through his hair.

 _Was it always going to feel like this?_  They'd only kissed twice, but both times Rey had felt like it was somehow her first kiss - all of the passion and excitement with a lot of butterflies and none of the awkward clumsiness. They kissed as though they may never get the chance again, but if Rey had her way, that certainly wouldn't be the case.

It ended as slowly as it had begun, with a few final caresses before they broke apart.

Ben exhaled a shaky breath and rested his forehead against hers. "We should probably talk about this."

"Probably," Rey nodded. "Tomorrow? Tonight, I just want to keep kissing you."

He smiled broadly, and chuckled. "If we keep doing that, someone's going to notice, and trust me, you don't want my family finding out on Christmas. We'll never be able to escape all of their questions."

"So come in, then," she offered softly, gesturing toward the door. She could feel her heart pound when she whispered, "Please?"

Ben blinked for a minute, and felt his throat go dry before nodding.

* * *

For the second time since they'd met, Ben woke up with Rey in his arms. It was a feeling he wanted to get used to, and he knew he was finally going to tell her that. She was so beautiful like this, snuggled comfortably against him. She looked peaceful, and the lips that were usually busy either snapping at him or kissing him were now resting in a soft smile.

Ben chuckled thinking of the night before, wondering if he should thank or scold his mother. It had been a cheeky move, hanging the mistletoe directly above the door frame, but it seemed to have worked in his favor.

Rey had fallen asleep almost as soon as they'd laid down, likely due to how busy and overwhelming the last day had been. He found that he didn't mind. Of course, he hadn't exactly expected they'd do much, considering the bedroom they were in shared a wall with his parent's room, but Ben could count on one hand the amount of nights he'd spent in bed with a woman, fully clothed the entire time. Actually, that had only ever happened with Rey.

As if sensing his thoughts, she groaned in her sleep and rolled over, snuggling further into her pillow. Ben released his hold on her gently, kissed her forehead, and quietly climbed out of bed.

It was time to have a chat with his mother.

* * *

Leia was already puttering around the kitchen when Ben found her. The coffee was on,  _thank God_ , and he decided to pour himself some before the interrogation started.

"I noticed there wasn't a need to make up the couch," Leia commented, smirking a bit.

 _Apparently he wasn't the only one doing the interrogating_.

"The mistletoe was a nice touch," he snorted, folding his arms across his chest.

Leia quirked her lips into a smile, and replied innocently. "I'm sure I don't know anything about that."

"Right," he chuckled. "So, what, it was Santa?"

"Christmas magic?" Leia shrugged, clearly not intending to fess up.

"Uh huh. Sure, mom," he replied sarcastically, but smiling. "That must have been it."

"Mm, must have been," she nodded. "Did you see the documents I emailed? You just need to sign off on them.."

"Already sent them back," he answered, smiling. "When is it official?"

"This afternoon, if the roads clear up and you have time to come to the office."

"For that," he chuckled, "I'll make time."

Leia nodded, and glanced up over her coffee mug. "Does Rey know yet?"

"No," Ben answered quickly. "She has no idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Secrets and feelings revealed.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	14. Easily Overheard Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions will be answered in this chapter - and you'll very likely have to wait until tomorrow for another update. Sorry to leave this one as the only update you get today, but I have a feeling tomorrow's will make up for it.
> 
> Enjoy!

Rey jerked up out of the bed, panicking a bit at her unfamiliar surroundings. She was alone, and  _right_ , she was in Ben's old room.  _Ben_. He'd stayed with her, but for how long?  _Why wasn't he there?_  She was used to waking up alone, obviously, but that morning, there was something unnerving about it.  _Why had he left? Had he changed his mind?_

Struggling to push away her concerns, Rey shrugged on a heavy sweater that was laying at the foot of the bed. She was sure it was Ben's, and she knew he wouldn't mind. She walked carefully out of the room and down the stairs - thankfully, her ankle seemed considerably better, though there was still a bit of pain and soreness.

Rey finally made it into the kitchen, and heard Ben and Leia talking.

"Does Rey know yet?"

"No," she heard Ben reply. "She has no idea."

 _No idea about what?_ Rey had been joking a few days ago when she'd asked, but apparently they really  _were_  keeping secrets from her. She stayed in the hall for a minute, confused by what she'd heard, until Leia left the kitchen.

"Good morning Rey," Leia greeted her, clearly having already had at least one cup of coffee, "Did you sleep okay?"

"I did," Rey gave her a friendly smile. "Thank you. You were right, I  _did_ like the room."

Leia nodded. "I thought you might. The upstairs  _can_ get a bit cold this time of year, so I hope the blankets were warm enough."

"Plenty warm enough."

"Ah, well, I'm sure if they weren't…" Leia gave a smirk that mirrored the one Ben always wore. "I'm sure you could have found other ways to stay warm."

Rey chuckled nervously and just smiled, then turned away from Leia and walked into the kitchen so the woman wouldn't see how red she'd turned.  _Clearly Leia knew he'd stayed the night with her_.  _So much for subtlety._  Thankfully, Ben was sitting at the small kitchen table, sipping a mug of coffee.

"You're awake." Ben smiled up at her, and stood up to pour her coffee while she took a seat across from where he'd been. She returned his smile with a thin, nervous one of her own. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Rey nodded slowly. "It just felt really weird waking up here alone."

"I'm sorry," he frowned. "I was planning to come back up before you woke up. I just needed to talk to my mother about a few things."

"You don't have to apologize," Rey sighed. "Just, after last night I'm feeling a little...nervous. This is a bit new to me."

"Me too." Ben smiled and reached across the table to take her hand, gently stroking his thumb over her knuckles. Rey quickly noticed how his hand dwarfed hers, and blushed a little at the thoughts that bubbled up in her mind.  _Mind out of the gutter, Rey._

They had peace and quiet in the kitchen for a little while, but eventually Rey let go of his hand and got up to pour herself more coffee. Ben took the opportunity to walk up and stand behind her, hugging his arms around her waist. He sighed. "I think that was the best night's sleep I've ever gotten."

Rey chuckled softly. "Me too."

He nuzzled his head into the soft skin at the side of her neck, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.

"Ben," she hissed quietly, "Not that I don't enjoy this, but what if someone comes in?"

Her train of thought derailed immediately as he started planting soft, wet kisses behind her ear and down her throat. "I  _love_  hearing you say my name," he sighed into her skin.

" _Ben_ ," she breathed, and repeated half-heartedly, "What if someone comes in?"

One of his hands slid down a few inches to rest at her lower abdomen, splaying out, pulling her back against him, making his reaction to her  _very_  clear. His other hand rested just below her breasts. "Then they'll probably wish they hadn't," he whispered into her ear.

As if summoned by Rey's concern, someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Ben's hands dropped immediately, and Rey's head whipped around to see who'd walked in. Luke leaned against the entry with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"Roommate?" Luke said, amused. He pursed his lips and his eyes twinkled in a mischievous way that proved without a doubt that he was Leia's brother. " _Uh huh._ "

* * *

After a light breakfast and a lot of goodbyes, Rey climbed into the car and watched Ben load some of their items into the back. She'd had a wonderful time spending the holiday with the Solos, but something about this morning kept nagging on her mind.

_What was he hiding?_

She resolved to just come out and ask him when he sat in the driver's seat.

"Ben," she hesitated. "I overheard something on my way into the kitchen. I know I should have just walked away, but I caught the very end of it. I just heard your mother ask if you'd told me about something yet."

"Oh." Ben quirked his lips for a moment and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Hmm."

Rey swallowed and looked over at him nervously. "Is there something I should know?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But I'd like to talk to you about it over dinner tonight, if that's okay. We have a few things to talk about," he shrugged, "and this is one of those things. Can you wait until later?"

"Sure…" Rey nodded. "I guess that'll be okay."

Ben smiled, relieved. "I hope you don't mind, but I need to get to my mother's office this afternoon. I'll need to head over there after I drop you off at home. I can pick dinner up on the way home and we can talk."

"Okay," Rey replied softly. "That sounds good. We can... _talk_."

* * *

Ben paused before entering the condo. He held a bag of chinese takeout and had a small square box burning a terrifying hole in his pocket. Rey's present was finally ready, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to it. The present itself wasn't anything that would scare her off, but there was a heady implication that came with it, and that's what had him worried.

But he had to go in eventually. It was freezing out and he couldn't stay out all night. He took a deep breath and walked through the door.

Rey was curled up on the couch, a cup of tea in her hand and BB on her lap. She smiled widely when he walked in, and she greeted him warmly. "Hey, you're home!"

"I am," he smiled. "Dinner?"

She took the bag he held out and started setting the white boxes out across the table while he brought over napkins, plates and silverware. They didn't say much until they'd both sat down and started piling food on their plates.

"So…" Rey began. "I'm going to be honest. I've never had to have one of these conversations."

"Me neither," Ben admitted casually, grabbing another dumpling.

"Well, we obviously like each other," Rey shrugged, not entirely sure what else to say.

Ben chuckled. "No kidding." He glanced up and noticed the nervous expression she wore.  _He shouldn't be so flippant about this_. He cleared his throat and explained, "Rey, I've had feelings for you for months. Obviously I haven't always handled it well, but I'd say that's mostly because…" he sighed, "because these feelings have taken a lot of getting used to. I'm not used to feeling so  _exposed_...emotionally, I mean."

"Maybe we should take things slow then," she suggested.  _Reluctantly_. "All of this... _relationship_  stuff is pretty new to both of us. I've gone on a few dates here and there," she explained, "but I've never felt like  _this_."

He smiled widely and nodded. "Slow. Okay, that's probably a good idea."  _Not one he liked, but if it's what she wanted, it'd have to do._

"Mmm," she hummed happily, "should we exchange presents now?"

Ben took a deep breath and nodded, then took the box out of his pocket and put it on the table between them. The little gold ribbon he'd tied around it had gotten a little crushed during the ride, but it still looked nice.

"Is that…" Rey's eyes went wide, "I mean, I guess I'm not  _exactly_ saying no, but it's a little soon…and we did just say we'd take things slow..."

Ben's jaw dropped. "Whoa, Rey, hold on. It's not what you think."

"Oh," she sighed, relaxing her tensed shoulders. "Okay, that's probably for the best. Not that it would have been  _bad_ , but-"

"Just open the box, Rey," Ben laughed nervously, his blush undoubtedly reaching the tips of his ears.

"Right," she blushed, "Sorry." She slid the ribbon off the little box and opened it up, finding a small, freshly cut key nestled inside. "Uh, Ben, what's this?"

"A key," he replied vaguely, smiling.

"I can see that," she laughed. "But I already live here."

"Which  _would_ be relevant," he nodded, "if that was a key to this condo. It's not."

Rey's eyebrow raised. "Are you going to tell me what it's for or do I have to keep guessing?"

"It's for our new bookstore," Ben said softly. "Technically your name isn't on the papers yet, but I'd like it to be."

Her eyes shot up to meet his. "Bookstore?" she asked. "Maz's bookstore?"

"Actually it's mine now," he smiled. "That's what you heard my mother and I talking about this morning. And that's what the papers she sent over were for. She helped facilitate the sale between Maz and I."

"You- You bought the bookstore…" Rey stammered. "I can't believe you bought the bookstore."

"It's where I met you," he said quietly, shrugging. "And like I said before, I always wanted to work there and write when I had free time. Now I can. And, I know you said it was a happy place for you - a place you felt safe and comfortable. I didn't want you to lose that. The other group that was interested in buying it was going to gut it and make it into an office. So, yeah, I bought the bookstore."

"That's...amazing," Rey beamed, unable to keep the goofy smile off her face. "Honestly though, my present pales in comparison to this." She handed him a box and watched as he unwrapped the amusingly garish blue and silver paper that covered it.

"I probably should have asked Leia," she said nervously. "This was kind of a gamble."

He finally finished unwrapping it and huffed in amusement when he saw what it was. "Rey, this looks like a professional kit. How did you even know I liked calligraphy? I've really missed it - I haven't had time for it in years."

"The recipe card," Rey explained. "When we made dinner for everyone, you handed me a recipe card to follow, and it was handwritten. The title was in calligraphy." She laughed. "Like I said, it was a gamble."

"A good one, though," he breathed, continuing to inspect the kit. "This is  _wonderful_."

* * *

After dinner they'd settled onto the couch for a movie. First, Rey had insisted on changing into pajamas, and she grabbed a blanket while she was in her room. She joined Ben on the couch and made a point of scooting close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Is this okay?" she asked, covering them both with the blanket.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around her, pressing her into the side of his hard chest, and she sighed, suddenly cursing herself for suggesting they take things slow.

 _Clearly that had been a mistake_.

The evening was fairly innocent, with just a few brief kisses during the movie's slower parts, and by the time it was over, Rey found herself incredibly frustrated. In comparison, Ben seemed unphased.

He even walked her to her bedroom door and gave her a relatively chaste kiss before leaving her to get to sleep.  _As if she'd be able to sleep_. Rey took a deep breath and realized quickly that  _slow_  had never really been an opinion. She'd been a fool to think it was.

 _But maybe she wasn't the only one who was regretting their decision_.

* * *

_Slow._  Ben sighed. He'd never done  _slow_  in his life, and now, for the first time, he was with someone he planned to spend a  _very_  long time with, and they were taking things slow. The irony wasn't lost on him.

Rey was going to drive him insane, that much was certain. For months all he'd been able to think about was how a gorgeous, infuriating woman slept right down the hall...undressing, showering, and... _did she touch herself?_ A voice in his head confirmed that she almost definitely did, and Ben groaned. Living with her without losing his mind had been filled with a never-ending supply of necessary cold showers, but now that there were feelings involved?

 _Forget it_. He was never going to make it out of this with his sanity intact.

He'd even started hearing things, like the small knock on his door. That's how bad it was - he was so far gone over this woman he'd started hearing things. Except, the knocking was a little louder now. A bit more insistent. A bit more... _nervous?_

Just for the hell of it, he walked over and opened the door to find his gorgeous, adorable roommate, wrapped only in a thin blue bathrobe.

"Hi," she said quickly, as if they hadn't just said goodnight two minutes earlier. "Could you come help me with something?"

Ben's eyes flicked down quickly before they came back up to her face. Her robe was short, and it seemed pretty clear that she wasn't wearing much under it. He spent a minute banishing the images of all the ways in which he'd  _very_ much like to help her before finally clearing his throat. "Sure. What do you need?"

"I'd like to take a shower," she said hesitantly. "I tried taking one earlier and slipped on my ankle. I'm a bit nervous to try it again without… _help_."

He blinked and fish-gaped with his mouth a bit before finally pulling his lips back into a semblance of a smirk. It took a minute before his brain was capable of producing speech again. "You know, that's a terrible excuse to get me naked."  _No, idiot, you should have just said yes_. He cringed internally and hoped he hadn't just completely screwed up.

Rey paused and bit her lip before cutting through him with her beautiful, hazel eyes.

"Mm, yes, I suppose it is," she nodded and gave him a coy smile, practically stopping his heart. "But...do I need an excuse? The offer still stands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: As it turns out, no, she absolutely doesn't need an excuse, and I've found myself writing smut over Easter. Whoops.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	15. Sex Changes Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I lied. I fully intended to post this tomorrow but you guys are all way too nice - I just can't make you wait another twelve hours.

_Mm, yes, I suppose it is," she nodded and gave him a coy smile, practically stopping his heart. "But...do I need an excuse? The offer still stands."_

* * *

Ben froze for a minute. The blood had definitely left his brain and it resulted in him just standing there, gaping at her like an idiot.

"Or…" Rey swallowed. "That's okay, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

He cut her off quickly, crashing his lips down to her hers, and pressed her up against the wall across from his bedroom. She sighed into him while he lifted her wonderfully toned legs up to wrap around his waist, holding her with his hands under her thighs.

" _Ben_ ," she gasped, resting her head against the wall as he sucked on a sensitive spot on her neck. "I really did plan on that shower."

"Oh," he chuckled into her skin, "I thought it was just an excuse."

"It was," she nodded. "It was an excuse to get you in the shower with me."

"Mmm," Ben hummed, continuing his ministrations on her neck. He lifted up a bit on her thighs to hold her more securely and walked toward her bedroom, finally moving his lips back to hers. Thankfully he was familiar with the condo's layout, because there was  _no_  way he was going to stop kissing her. He gently bumped into what was probably her dresser on the way to her attached bathroom, and nearly tripped over the clothes she'd discarded in exchange for the gloriously thin robe that was starting to fall down her shoulders.

Finally they made it to her bathroom and he wrapped one of his arms under both of her thighs so he'd have a hand free to turn on the shower. His brain switched off again when her tongue started to slowly trace the part between his lips, and he moaned into her mouth before moving them under the water.

"Ben!" Rey shrieked, pulled her head away from his. She started laughing, "Do you  _usually_  shower with your clothes on?"

He glanced down and snorted when he realized they were both still fairly dressed. Her robe had been slipping down to reveal an enticing amount of skin, but he was still in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Right," he pinched his nose and chuckled, turning a bit red. He set her down in front of him and started removing his shirt, which was now soaked. "Sorry, I was...distracted."

Rey laughed, but her laughter was cut short as she got a view of her half-naked roommate. "Distracted?" she swallowed, and nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that."

One of his eyebrows raised and his trademark smirk made an appearance. "Are you too distracted to take that robe off?"

She glanced up at him through her long, full eyelashes and gave a slight smile. "Maybe I was hoping you'd help me with it."

_Yep, that's it, he was a dead man._

Ben wasn't sure he could trust himself to respond in understandable English, so instead, he gently took hold of the fabric that tied the robe closed and pulled it loose, depositing it on the other side of the shower curtain. He let the robe fall open, and felt his mouth go dry the instant he caught a glimpse of the soft outline of her pale breasts.

Rey impatiently shrugged the robe off the rest of the way before she lost her nerve, and stood in front of him completely bare. He was staring and she wasn't entirely sure whether she should be flattered or more nervous.

"You're still wearing sweatpants," she commented, clearing her throat.

"Oh," he glanced down, finally snapping out of the spell he was under. "Yeah, I am." He pulled them down and snorted when he realized how soaked they'd gotten by the shower.  _So much for staying in control_.

The minute they were off and resting on the bathroom floor he pulled her against him, lowering his head to capture her lips in a soft, but deep kiss. She moaned into his mouth, and shivered as their bodies slid against each other, made slippery by the hot water that poured down over them.

After a few minutes their kiss broke, and Ben smiled down at her. "Alright," he grinned, "Well, you got me in here. What next?" He certainly knew what  _he_  wanted next, but couldn't be sure she wanted the same.

"Honestly, I hadn't considered it," she admitted. "My plan didn't really go past 'Ben', 'naked', and 'shower'."

He chuckled, then nearly choked as he felt her hands wrap around his hardened length.

" _Fuck,"_ he hissed, taken by surprise.

"Hmm," she glanced down at him, licking her lips a bit. "This'll take getting used to." His reactions as she slid her hands up and down his length made her more daring, and she commented quietly, "You're considerably bigger than my vibrator."

Rey was interrupted by his frustrated groan.

"Something wrong?" she smirked.

"Nothing," he gasped, shaking his head. "I'm just starting to resent the fact that our bedrooms don't share a wall."

Rey laughed, and he took the opportunity to clasp her wrists in one of his hands, removing them so she couldn't continue her torture. Instead, he held them behind her back and bent her backwards, attacking her mouth with his own. After a minute he released her hands so he could trail his fingers down over her chest, gently cupping each of her breasts.

"You fit my hands  _so_ perfectly," he groaned, massaging her gently. "These are incredible."

" _Ben_ ," she sighed, the rest of what she'd been planning to say lost forever as he lowered his mouth to capture a small, light pink nipple between his lips.

He chuckled against her and said in a low voice, "I'm starting to  _really_  like that name."

"Bed," Rey demanded, gasping for breath as he started flicking his tongue over her other nipple. " _Now_."

* * *

Rey was pretty sure she'd never dried herself off so fast in her life. Ben had tossed her a towel and she'd been done with it in thirty seconds flat, not even bothering with her hair. It'd just have to air dry. The tangles would  _definitely_  be worth it.

She flung herself back into his arms and he laughed, stumbling back a bit into the sink. He caught her with a hand under her chin, and lifted it gently to plant a slow kiss on her lips. Realizing they'd never make it to the bed if Rey was in charge, Ben made the decision to lift her back up and carry her out into the bedroom.

"You sure this is okay?" he mumbled against her lips, setting her down in front of the bed.

A whine came out of the back of her throat as she grabbed his hands and tugged him backward, toward the bed. "You're  _kidding_ , right?"

Ben chuckled, and followed her. "Just checking." She'd been leaning a bit against the bed when he knelt down, hooking his arms around her knees. He lifted her to sit at the edge of the bed, and placed her legs over his shoulders, then started pressing kisses up her thighs, clearly heading to the apex where her legs met.

"O- Oh," she stammered, glancing down at him. "You don't have to do that."

"Yeah, I know," he answered, quirking his lips in amusement. "I want to, if you don't mind."

"I just always got the impression that guys didn't like that," she replied shyly.

He blinked in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"Well," she paused. "I've never been with someone who wanted to."

"You've never had anyone do this?" He was  _terrible_  at disguising the eagerness in his voice.

She shook her head, biting at her bottom lip.

"That's an absolute  _crime,_ " he replied dramatically. "We're fixing that now."

Before she had the chance to blush, he'd licked a trail from her center to her clit, earning a loud moan as she flopped back onto the bed.

He chuckled softly at her reaction (which was doing  _great_  things for his ego), and repeated the motion a few times before circling his tongue around the small bundle of nerves.

Rey's breathing got faster and her hips started bucking until he snaked an arm over her waist, holding her down against the bed. "Relax," he breathed against her thigh.

Without another word he started licking gentle patterns into the area surrounding her clit then glanced back up at her and used his free hand to carefully push a single finger into her velvety heat. " _Fuck_ , you're so wet." She whined softly, inching her hips closer to him, and he moved his mouth back, flicking his tongue against her clit more rapidly, moving in time with his finger.

Ben wasn't sure how to describe what he was feeling, but  _hunger_  was the first word that came to mind. He was  _hungry_ for her, and fully planned to devour her every time he got the chance. He wanted to hold her down and do everything he could with his mouth and fingers to make her call his name over and over again until it was the only name she knew.  _Yes, that was exactly what he wanted_.

Rey had stopped watching him a few minutes in, mostly because she was struggling enough remembering how to breathe. Sex had never felt this incredible, or this overwhelming, and they hadn't really even gotten to the main part. She glanced up and saw that he was looking directly at her with eyes that had gone almost black, watching as she slowly came undone.

She felt him add another finger and moan into her, sucking a bit at her sensitive nub. His fingers were stretching her in the most delicious way - as he curled them her back nearly arched off the bed, and she made a new breathy sound that was really just a loud, random mix of vowels.

He pulled his lips away for a second, but kept massaging the sensitive spot inside her with two rough fingers. "My  _name_ , Rey," he demanded in a husky voice. "You don't finish until I hear it."

She cried out as his mouth returned, sucking and licking greedily at her clit. The pressure had been building low in her stomach, and she keened loudly as he added another finger, completely overwhelming her senses. She was  _so_ close, and the coil of tension she felt was just about to burst when he pulled his fingers and face away completely.

"What-" Rey looked up and blinked at him. "Ben, why'd you stop?"

He gave her a mischievous smile. "So you  _do_  know my name. Use it, then," he ordered, with a wink.

She was about to mock him when he started all of his previous ministrations again, all at once.

" _Ben!_ " she wailed, nearly squirming off the edge of the bed. Her response seemed to spurn him on, because the speed of his tongue and fingers increased dramatically, and Rey found herself screaming his name over and over as the most powerful orgasm she'd experienced took her over with wave after wave of pleasure. She'd heard of aftershocks, but she'd  _certainly_  never experienced them until now.

Ben slowed his fingers and gently worked her down from her high, carefully stroking her thighs and kissing her core as she continued to quiver.

"Wow," she breathed finally, lifting herself up onto her elbows to look up at him.

He slowly kissed a burning path up her abdomen, and then stood in front of her and smiled down at her wickedly as he sucked the wetness off his fingers.

Rey snorted softly as a memory came to mind, and Ben looked down at her curiously. "It's nothing," she chuckled. "I just...I'm finding it a bit funny now that I tried to sell you a book on how to please women."

Ben huffed playfully and shook his head, laughing a bit. He moved onto the bed, crawled over her, and interrupted her chuckling with a gentle kiss. Her laughter died immediately as she kissed him back, reveling in the tender way he brushed the hair away from her forehead. When she opened her eyes, she was instantly overwhelmed by the way he was looking down at her. His soft, warm brown eyes were filled with what she could only describe as a mix of adoration and pure lust.

He reached up and grabbed one of the pillows she wasn't lying against, then motioned for her to lift her hips. With another kiss, he tucked the pillow under her, and lined up over her, wrapping her legs around his waist. Just as he was about to enter her he froze and pulled away.

"Sorry, I forgot to ask," he explained, clearly expending a lot of effort to hold off, "do we need to use anything?"

Rey paused for a minute before realizing what he meant. "I'm clean, it's been a few years since I've been with someone. I'm on the pill. If you're good, we're all set.

Ben sighed, relieved, and placed himself at her entrance. He looked down at her, scanning her face for any sign that she didn't want to keep going.

"Please," Rey said softly, raising herself up to kiss him. She gently traced his lip with her tongue and felt him carefully push into her. She pulled her lips away and hissed quietly as he stretched her. "Slow," she panted. "Please, go slow."

He nodded and wrapped a hand around her neck to bring her in for a feather-light kiss, deepening it after a moment in an attempt to pour all the raw emotions he felt into her. She had to know how he felt. If she didn't, he had to show her.

He rocked into her carefully, not wanting to hurt her. Rey hummed happily into his mouth, and he inched further into her until he was fully enveloped.

Rey broke their kiss to moan and looked up at him, breathing heavily. They paused for a minute to adjust, and she realized then that she'd never felt so full, or so  _complete_. After a moment, she rolled her hips, urging him to continue.

And continue he did, with slow and deep thrusts until she was gasping for breath and writhing under him. " _Ben,"_ she breathed, saying his name like a prayer, "that feels... _so_  good."

He lowered himself and wrapped around her, gently sliding an arm under and around her neck, supporting himself with his other arm. He pulled them together until their chests met and he could feel her small, hardened nipples pressing into him. He surrounded her, and every feeling she took in was of him - his breath on her neck, his arm around her, his heart pounding against hers.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as a multitude of overwhelming feelings washed over her like a heavy rain. Rey pulled her fingers through his hair, pulling him up to face her, and she found mirroring emotions swirling in his eyes. He blinked at her for a moment, seeming confused by her reaction, and slowly met her lips with his for the sweetest and most affectionate kiss she'd had yet to experience.

A million thoughts ran through her head. This stupid, infuriating man had somehow earned a spot in her heart within mere months, and now he was making her feel things she'd only ever read about in the ridiculously sappy romance novels Rose would regularly thrust in her direction.

 _She was in love with him_.

A surge of panic shot through her, but was quickly balmed by another kiss from said infuriating man. She cast her thoughts and concerns aside, returning his kiss with everything she had.

Ben's hips sped up, and she lifted hers to meet him stroke for stroke. Rey could feel that he was starting to lose control, and her climax wasn't far off, so she tightened her legs around him, digging her heels into his back, spurring him on. He lost himself in her, kissing her harder and deeper than before, thrusting his tongue in to meet hers. She constricted around him, her voice steadily rising in pitch until she let out a throaty noise, crying his name.

He burrowed his head into her neck and groaned in pleasure, whispering her name, finding his release.

After a few minutes, Ben lifted his head and gazed down at her, unable to find the words he needed to say. Their eyes met, and something inside him clicked as he saw her eyes were wet, filled with tears she hadn't yet shed.

_Whatever he felt was mutual._

* * *

They hadn't bothered getting dressed again, mostly because Ben's pajamas still sat in a wet pile on the bathroom floor, and because Rey just couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. They had an unspoken agreement that Ben would stay the night, and she nuzzled into his chest, smiling broadly.

"I could get used to this," he said softly, stroking her hair.

"Mmm," she nodded, looking up at him. "Hey, remember the first night after I moved in?"

"How could I forget?" he laughed. "We spent half the night yelling at each other."

"Right, but remember how you completely jinxed us? When you said something like 'What's the worst that could happen?'"

"I do," he nodded, not sure where she was going with it.

"Well," she snorted, "no offense, but at that point, I think this is the worst thing I could have imagined happening. I mean, obviously things have changed," she explained, "so now I think this outcome is pretty fantastic, but if you'd told me then that this is where we'd be after a few months I probably would have moved out."

"This is the worst thing that could have happened?" Ben laughed hard, "Us falling for each other? Wow, you really did hate me."

Rey paused and propped herself up on an elbow, looking down at him with wide, nervous eyes. "Is that what we're doing?" she asked softly. "Falling for each other?"

His eyes widened to match hers and he swallowed, hoping his admission wouldn't scare her. "It's what I've been doing."

Her heart was railing against her ribcage when she smiled and whispered, "Me, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Bookstore shenanigans.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	16. Making Love in All the Wrong Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving along with the game I've now coined "Trope-Bingo"...

"You've got the day off today, right?"

Rey nodded before rolling back over on the bed, pressing her face against his shoulder, covering her eyes from the light that seeped in through the windows.

Ben chuckled softly, finding her reluctance to get out of bed amusing. "Rey, it's almost 10. We've gotta get up eventually."

She made a soft sleepy-groaning noise and opened her eyes just enough to glare at him.

 _Adorable_. This was exactly how he wanted to wake up every morning.

Rather than scolding her until she woke up, Ben settled on an approach she'd probably like more - peppering her forehead, nose and cheeks with light kisses. After half a minute, she started giggling and finally opened her eyes, no longer glaring.

"Okay, okay," she sighed, a hint of laughter still in her voice. "I'm awake! No more," she giggled as his hands reached around to tickle softly at her stomach, "No! Don't tickle! I give in!"

Ben hummed against her neck, and stilled his fingers. At some point that morning he'd discovered the fact that she was ticklish, and he planned to use that to his advantage regularly.

"You're such a jerk," she joked, smiling down at him. "I'm awake. Now what?'

He shrugged.

" _Ben Solo_ ," she started in mock outrage, "did you really wake me up for no reason?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Actually, I was hoping we could go to the bookshop. Maz let me do some work on it before the sale went through, and I've got it prepped to paint. The walls really need a fresh coat, and I didn't know if you'd want to help. It is  _ours_ , after all."

"Hmmm.  _Ours_." Rey thought for a minute. "I like the sound of that. Sure, let's paint."

* * *

Ben had picked a lovely deep green-blue for the walls that would flatter the cream-colored carpet Maz had put down a few years earlier. Rey was pleased to find that he'd already completely prepped the walls, put plastic down, and picked up all the supplies they'd need to get started.

She'd been about to pour some of the richly colored paint into a tray when Ben asked curiously, "Is that one of my shirts?"

Rey glanced back at him shyly and nodded.

He looked between her and the paintbrush he held for a moment, considering the situation. It was a fairly simple white t-shirt - nothing he had much of an attachment to, and he  _did_  deserve to get some sort of payback for the red sauce stains that were still on one of his aprons.

Without indicating his plan, he walked toward the can of paint she'd opened and dipped the brush he held in it, carefully wiping the excess off. Before Rey had the chance to put two and two together, he'd quickly run his finger over the top of the wet brush, effectively flicking the dark paint at her.  _Thank God he'd put plastic down on the floors_.

Rey didn't react, except to blink. The shirt had taken the brunt of the paint, but he snorted when he noticed the array of dark, shiny spots that now freckled over her face. He'd even managed to get some in her hair.  _Oops_.

" _Ben_ ," she growled, her voice low and threatening. "You  _asshole_ ," she hissed, jumping up to lunge at him, attempting to smear the paint off on him.

He dodged her and laughed. "Hey, I just thought my shirt would look better with paint!"

Rey's eyes burned into him as she backed away, dipped her brush in the paint, and stalked toward him. He did the only thing a sane man could do when faced with a terrifyingly angry woman.

He ran.

" _BEN SOLO, GET BACK HERE_!" she yelled, not picking up her pace to chase him. He hadn't left the shop and there were only so many places he could hide, so she'd find him eventually. There was no need to rush. "I am  _not_  playing hide and seek with you."

"You'll have to," he mocked from behind a bookshelf. "Come find me, Rey."

She growled angrily and dashed behind the shelf from where she'd heard him.  _Nope._

"Are you really hiding from me?" she demanded, snorting as her anger turned slowly into amusement.

Rey heard his soft chuckle and quietly stalked in its direction, turning a corner to head toward the back of the bookshop. "You know I can hear you, right? I'm going to find you, and when I do-" she paused, and listened. She could hear him breathing.  _He was enjoying this_.

"What are you going to when you find me, Rey?" his low voice taunted her. He sounded like he was just an aisle or so away.

She stopped in her spot and smirked, knowing  _exactly_  how to torture him and end the little game he'd decided to play. She used the same sultry voice she'd used the last time they'd been in the bookstore together, and responded slowly. "Maybe I'll just have my way with you against a bookshelf…" Rey smiled, hearing his very audible groan. "Unless you'd prefer to have me on a counter."

"You're not playing fair," he huffed, "now I  _want_  you to find me."

Clearly he hadn't been paying much attention ( _though really, how many men would after hearing a woman say that?_ ), because just a few seconds later, Rey smeared a stripe of dark paint across the back of his shirt.

Ben turned around quickly, eyes wide - apparently he'd been expecting her to come at him from the other direction. "You  _saucy_  little-"

He didn't get the chance to finish whatever he was about to say, because Rey dropped the brush and pulled him down by the collar of his t-shirt, attacking his lips and covering them with her own.

A surprised noise came from the back of his throat, and when she let go, Ben stumbled backward against a bookshelf. He regained his footing quickly, and Rey felt herself being lifted with ease. She wasn't  _exactly_  paying attention, but she also wasn't at all surprised when she felt herself placed on a hard surface.

_Counter it is, then._

Without warning, his hands were at her jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping. Rey lifted her hips and he shoved the pants roughly down her legs, ridding her of the offensive material. His hips bucked into hers as his hand wrapped further around her neck, pulling her closer and closer into a hard kiss he didn't plan on ending anytime soon.

Before her brain was  _completely_  fried, Rey reached forward, clumsily finding the top of his pants. Her fingers grazed the muscles there for a minute before she unzipped the jeans and found that he was as hard as a rock. When she took ahold of him, Ben groaned into her mouth and finally pulled away, leaving her lips a swollen, red mess.

"Do you have any clue how long I've wanted to do this?" he panted, feeling Rey's hands glide over him.

She smirked. "I have an idea. You were never subtle."

Ben turned a bit red and nodded, knowing she was completely right. He took a step closer, and lowered his head to press teeth into her neck, relishing in the soft, desperate mewls that escaped her mouth. Trailing a finger down her abdomen, he pulled the scrap of her now-damp underwear aside and gently pushed a finger inside her molten center. _She was just as ready as he was._

"Tell me what you want, Rey," he demanded against her throat, his voice deep and husky.

She whined as he pulled the neck of her shirt down, sucking a bruise on to her neck, and answered, " _You_ , I just want you."

He smirked and moved his lips down to her collarbone, sucking harder there. When she gasped and tried rolling her hips against his, he finally positioned himself in front of her and entered fully in one quick movement, stretching her in a way that perfectly mingled pleasure and pain.

Rey moaned loudly, and he gave her a few seconds to adjust to the fullness before beginning a punishing rhythm of deep, hard thrusts. He finally released his hold on the skin near her collarbone, feeling a deep sense of pride at the marks he'd left on her, and captured her in a kiss, biting at her bottom lip.

She pulled her fingers through his hair, pulling him more deeply into their kiss, and then began trailing her nails down his back, marking him not unlike how he'd marked her.

Ben had already started to feel himself lose control, but it slipped even further away when she dug her nails into his lower back, urging him on. He wanted her to fall over the edge with him, and placed his hand between them, circling quick, wet trails around her clit. Rey's breathing came in short bursts that only became more uneven as he kept circling her with his fingertips, using his other hand to roughly palm her breast, pinching a nipple between his thumb and finger.

"So...close," she shuddered, starting to tighten around him.

He practically purred, and whispered in her ear, his voice ragged, "Come for me, Rey."

The harsh rhythm he'd set, the way he bucked wildly into her, the way his fingers felt moving against the bundle of nerves between her legs...it was all too much, and she came quickly and loudly, moaning his name.

" _Fuck_ ," he cursed with a gasp, shuddering, his climax brought on by the feeling of hers.

Their foreheads pressed together as they both struggled to catch their breath.

"Rey, I lied," he panted, not entirely thinking through what he was about to say.

She glanced up at him, dazed and now a bit confused. Her heart rate had been slowing down, but it started climbing again at his words.

"I lied," he repeated. "I mean, it wasn't exactly a lie. I used the wrong verb or tense or whatever." He was doing such a  _shit_  job of explaining this. "I'm not falling for you."

Rey blinked, realizing he was referencing the conversation they'd had the previous evening, and her stomach dropped.

"Shit." He shook his head, seeing her frown. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean there's no falling left to do. I fell a while ago," he swallowed hard and moved his hands to hold her face, staring into her eyes. "I think it probably happened during that camping trip. You said something about how you wouldn't have me falling in love with you and," he chuckled, "you know how much I love to fight you on things."

Rey was blinking back tears, completely unsure of how to respond, which was fine because he didn't seem to be finished.

"I had no idea then," he smiled. "I know now, though. I love you."

She'd heard about people having their breath taken away. Read about it in some trashy novel that had a bare-chested man on the front cover, probably, but she'd never known it was actually a thing that happened to people. But there she was, completely breathless. How was one expected to manage breathing after hearing that?

"Breathe, Rey," he whispered, apparently now able to read her mind.

She cleared her throat. "Right," she whispered, finally taking a breath. "Right," she repeated, swallowing. Was that really all she was capable of saying? This gorgeous, incredible man had just ravaged her and declared his love for her, and she just kept saying 'Right.'  _Perfect._  What an  _excellent_  time to forget how to speak.

He smiled widely, apparently unbothered by her reaction, and leaned down to plant soft kisses on each of her cheeks, then her forehead, and finally the tip of her nose.

Rey sighed shakily and glanced back up at him, her eyes wide and filled with a love she wasn't quite ready to fully admit to. "I've never said that to anyone," she admitted, taking a deep breath.

After a moment she added, her voice quiet and soft, "But I'm sure I'll end up saying it to you."

* * *

"I can't believe we didn't get any painting done," Rey snickered, following Ben into the elevator that would take them to Poe's apartment. "We had all day and all we did was get paint on each other."

"Well…" he glanced over her, raising an eyebrow. "That's not _all_  we did."

Rey blushed. It was almost cute that she could still blush after the things they'd done.

"I'm not sure if you remember," he teased, deciding to see how red she could get, "but there was a counter...a bookshelf...a floor…"

"I remember," she chuckled, turning a deep red that likely wouldn't disappear before they got to Poe's.

"Just let me know if you ever need a reminder," he offered, winking.

Rey rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "We need to be more subtle. I'm pretty sure Finn and Rose are going to announce their engagement to the group at dinner tonight, and I want this to be their night. As far as everyone's concerned, we're still just roommates, okay?"

"Darling," he laughed, "we've never really been  _just_  roommates. But okay, it's their night," he added, nodding.

Rey glanced up and saw that they still had a few floors to go before she made the decision to shove herself into his arms, planting a quick, wet kiss on his lips before the elevator doors opened.

He groaned when she backed away, giving him a playful smile. "You can't just kiss me like that and expect me to not touch you for an entire evening."

"Hmm," Rey thought for a minute. "How about this. We shouldn't touch each other much, but that doesn't mean we can't talk…"

Ben scoffed, and replied dryly. "Sweetheart, if I start talking about what I want to do to you or about how I feel, I think your friends will figure things out  _really_  fast."

"I didn't mean like that," she blushed. "How about this...if I call you a  _jerk_ , it really just means I adore you, and I want to kiss you."

"Ah," he nodded, understanding. "And if I call you  _sweetheart,_  I'm actually saying I love you," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

Poe's apartment door opened before they could continue.

* * *

Rey had been right, and sat back in her chair, watching the happy couple show off the modest, sparkling ring that sat on Rose's finger. She listened to them tell the story of how Finn had proposed outside during a light snowfall, only to accidentally drop the ring, resulting in a good twenty minutes of frantically searching through the few inches of white fluff that had accumulated.

She beamed with joy, thrilled for her friends. Though, her joy may have also had something to do with the fact that Ben couldn't keep his eyes off her.

They enjoyed dinner in quiet, happy silence, but Rey didn't miss the fact that Poe had been looking between her and Ben curiously. They'd been very careful, but not much slipped by Poe.

"Hey, mind helping me bring out dessert?" Poe asked Ben.

"Sure," he nodded, joining his friend in the kitchen.

The minute they were out of earshot, Poe turned around and smirked at him. "Okay, obviously something's up. You've both been grinning like idiots all night, and you haven't argued once. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you definitely had sex."

"We're just happy for Finn and Rose," Ben explained unconvincingly.

Poe's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe-"

"Hey, you guys need any help?" Rey offered, peeking into the kitchen.

Ben smiled at her softly. "Thanks  _sweetheart_ , but I think we've got this."

"Okay", she nodded, returning his smile.

"Yeah, see, that's another thing," Poe added, addressing Rey. "You  _hate_  it when he calls you that, but every time he's said it tonight you look like you're going to start doing cartwheels.

Rey shrugged, doing her best to avoid blushing. "I'm just getting used to it, I guess. But I'm still fully convinced he's a  _jerk_."

"Oh, I'm a  _jerk_ , huh?" Ben asked, chuckling.

"Definitely, yes," Rey giggled. "Well anyway, if you guys don't need any help, I'm going to get back out there."

After she left, Poe picked up the box of cupcakes he'd come in for and glanced over at his friend, raising an eyebrow. "You know, if you're going to stand there and claim nothing's going on, you probably should have avoided leaving such obvious bruises on her."

"Oh." Ben quirked his lips, having been caught in a pretty clear lie. "Huh."

Poe just laughed and clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder as he left the kitchen. "I won't say anything," he smiled. "But I'm happy for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Han gives a bit of a scolding.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	17. Interrupted Intimacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter - no real plot here, just cuteness.
> 
> Also, apparently my husband is reading this now, so...yeah. If you see any amusing/snarky comments, it's probably him - he's not a Reylo shipper (I know, I know, but I love him anyway) and I think he's probably just reading this to see how much I blush when he reads certain parts. Sorry darling, please don't judge all the fluff and smut ;)

For what felt like the first time in her life, Rey woke up in a world where she knew she was loved. Of course, Finn and her other friends loved her, but it wasn't exactly the same. This was the sort of love that made her feel like she was the center of someone's world.

It was terrifying.

It was incredible.

She propped herself up as much as possible without disturbing him. He was wrapped around her, using her chest as a pillow, and Rey was surprised by how comfortable the position was. She'd never expected him to be so... _cuddly_.

Rey brushed a stray curling lock out of his face and he nuzzled into her hand, apparently not quite as asleep as she'd thought.

"Morning." His voice was a bit deeper and raspier than usual, likely because he'd just woken up.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling down at him. "Good morning."

"Why are you awake?" he groaned, peeking up at her through bleary, tired eyes.

Apparently he wasn't  _always_  a morning person.

She chuckled, and continued brushing her hands through his hair. "My alarm went off. I have to get to work."

"No," he grumbled.

"No?"

He shook his head, but offered no further explanation. "No."

Rey playfully swatted his shoulder. "You can't just keep saying no. I have to go to work. At least  _one_  of us needs a regular income."

Ben finally raised his head and smirked. "What can I do to convince you to stay?"

"Nothing," she laughed, "I really do have to get to work. I can't just stay in bed all day, no matter how much I want!"

"You sure?" he murmured, slowly sliding down the bed, pulling the blanket up over him. "I think I know a way I could get you to stay."

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm sure. Work starts at 9 and I should be there  _on time_."

Rey hadn't really known what he was up to until she felt him gently pull her legs apart and leave kisses on her bare thighs.

" _Ben_ ," she hissed, "now is really  _not_ the time for that."

"I disagree," he muttered against the inside of her thigh. "It's been awhile since I've had breakfast in bed."

* * *

"Hey kid, didn't your shift start at 9?"

Rey slid out from under the car she'd been working on and looked up to find her boss, who was staring down at her in faux annoyance.

"It might have," she nodded. She'd been hoping he hadn't noticed, but technically she'd snuck in a little after 9:30.

"Mhm," Han smirked, clearly not very annoyed with her, "and do I want to know why you were late?"

Rey cleared her throat and shrugged, assuming that and the blush appearing across her face would be enough of an explanation.

"Right," Han sighed. "Just...don't make a habit of it. And don't even  _think_  about fooling around in here."

Rey slid back under the car, effectively cutting off their eye contact. She'd rather not have Han noticing the increasing blush she was developing. Now that he'd mentioned it, she was  _definitely_  imagining having fun with Ben in the garage. So many new surfaces…

She shook her head quickly, trying to focus on the task at hand. Having sex in the garage was a  _terrible_  idea. It would only be a surefire way to guarantee she'd never be able to concentrate on work again.

"Oh," she heard Han add, "I forgot to mention. I'm heading out this afternoon. Leia's picking me up for lunch and I'm driving her car back here so we can do a tune-up on it. I should be back before 2 PM. You OK to man the phones while I'm gone?"

"Sure," Rey answered. "Not a problem."

* * *

A little after noon Han offered her a quick wave goodbye on his way out. She'd had an annoyingly slow morning and was struggling to diagnose the problem behind a concerning noise a customer's car kept making. So far, all she'd managed to do was cross a few possibilities off the list of potential problems. That, and get grease on her pants, of course.

Not long after Han left, Rey began to smell something delicious and climbed out from under the car to see that Ben had arrived, bringing a pizza from the shop down the street.

"Hey sweetheart," he smiled, "I noticed you left in a hurry and forgot lunch."

"Please tell me that has pepperoni," she asked, walking toward the worktable he was leaning against.

"Of course," he scoffed. "You think I don't know that you prefer the most boring pizza  _ever_?"

"Pepperoni is  _not_  boring," Rey scowled. "It's a classic."

She jumped up to sit on the worktable, dangling her legs, and reached over to help herself to a slice of pizza. Glancing over at Ben, she noticed with great amusement that he was splattered with a considerable amount of paint.

"Painting's going well, then?" she laughed. "Did you manage to get any on the walls?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "It's not as bad as it looks. I actually got a lot done. I won't be able to finish it today, but it should be done this week."

"That's great! I can help for a while tomorrow, if you want," she offered, remembering that Han only had her scheduled in the afternoon.

Ben smirked, and glanced over at her, "If you help, are you actually going to  _help_ , or are you going to splash paint on me."

"Clearly you're not remembering things correctly," Rey teased. "You started it."

"Oh, right."

She laughed at his amused expression and returned to her pizza. They ate in silence for a minute before he turned to her, leaning his side against the table she sat on.

"So I was thinking about events we could host to get more customers coming in. Maz did such a great job of making the bookshop a nice, quiet place, but there's no way she was making much of a profit."

"Events?" Rey's eyebrow quirked up. "What sort of events?"

Ben shrugged, and explained, "Maybe book signings for local authors. Maybe we could let local book clubs meet on certain nights...offer them a discount if they buy their books from us? I've been moving bookcases around a bit to see if we can change the layout and I actually think we could make room for a decent seating area."

"That's a great idea," Rey nodded. "Doesn't Leia belong to a bookclub? You could see if they'd want to start using the shop."

"I'm not sure, but we can ask. I did want to check with you, though - how involved do you want to be with this?" He paused. "I know you like your job here..."

Rey glanced over and noticed that he seemed nervous for her answer. "I  _do_  like my job here," she nodded. "I plan on keeping it, and your dad's been working with me on the business-end of running the garage."

"Mm," he worked his lips together, unsure of what to say.

"The shop is going to basically be your full-time job, right?"

"That's the plan. I'm hoping I'll have time to write a bit each day, too."

"Okay," Rey nodded, a plan coming to mind. "So, you'd probably be better off if you focused on the day-to-day stuff and the back-end, business stuff, right? That leaves the event planning and...I don't know, community outreach? Like, the book-club stuff?"

"Yeah, that seems right. I have more experience in business, so that would probably be what I'd focus on." He considered it for a minute before nodding. "Are you saying you'd want to focus on events and community-related things?"

"I think so," Rey smiled. "After all, that tends to involve dealing with people, and I think we both know I'm better at that."

Ben let out a loud laugh in lieu of admitting that she was completely correct. "Do you think you'll have time for it?"

"I think so," she grinned, "plus, we can help each other. When I'm really busy here you can take over a bit more, and if you need me to once in a while, I can step in to cover for you."

"Partners, then?"

Rey thought for a minute before she looked up at him and smiled broadly. "Partners."

He chuckled and took a step toward her, closing the gap between them. "Think you can manage it? Roommates  _and_ partners?"

"I think we're a little more than that, don't you?" she said softly.

"Mmm," he hummed, nodding, "I guess that's probably true."

Rey reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to stand between her legs. His hands landed on her thighs as she planted a series of soft kisses on his lips.

* * *

"Didn't I  _just_  tell you not to fool around in here?"

Rey pulled away from Ben and glanced up at the entry to the garage, horrified to see that her boss had arrived. The fairly innocent kisses she'd started with after lunch had turned into something decidedly  _not_ innocent, and clearly they'd lost track of time. Her legs were wrapped around him, but at least they were still mostly clothed. Sure, Rey's shirt was unbuttoned quite a bit, revealing most of her somewhat boring nude bra, and Ben's shirt was... _oh_. It was on the ground, next to his belt. And his hand was cupping one of her breasts.

Rey sighed. There was no hope of convincing Han that their embrace hadn't been heading somewhere.

Thankfully Han didn't actually look angry. Instead, he just laughed. "Look you two, as much as I'd like grandchildren, I'd really rather not spend the rest of my life knowing they might have been conceived in my garage."

Rey blushed to her roots and made firm eye contact with the floor. Ben let his head fall to her shoulder, laughter shaking his shoulders as he replied reluctantly, "...Hi, Dad."

"Hey Ben, nice of you to finally stop by the garage," Han chuckled. "But during future visits, try not to feel up my employee during work hours. I don't care if she's your girlfriend, I  _don't_  want to see it. Don't you two share a condo? Can't you use that?"

"Yeah," Ben admitted, sill grinning, "probably."

* * *

Ben had more or less rushed out after Han arrived, pulling on his shirt and giving Rey a not-so-quick kiss goodbye. Once he left, Rey took a deep breath and decided to enter the office. There was no way her blush had died down, but Han still deserved an apology.

She knocked at the office door gently, hoping he'd be on the phone.

_No such luck._

"Hey kid, come on in."

Rey chose instead to lean against the door frame, and pursed her lips before she said anything. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier."

Han chuckled and nodded, folded his arms over his chest, and leaned back into his chair. "I'm sure I could have walked in on worse. Another ten minutes and who knows  _what_ I would have seen."

"That- That's probably true," Rey admitted. There was no way she'd get through this conversation without being completely mortified.

"Hey, Rey," he smiled. "It's okay. Just don't make a habit of it,  _please_. For my own sanity. There are some things I don't need to see."

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Well, it won't happen again."

"Sure it won't," Han snorted.

Rey shook her head, amused, and turned to leave.

"Wait, Rey," he called. When she turned back to him he smiled fondly. "Do you love him?"

She blinked for a minute before giving him a soft smile.

"Thought so. That's good," Han sighed, as if relieved. "You're good for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: An engagement party.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	18. Ignore the Fanservice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a fun chapter to write. I should probably put in a tag for somewhat jealous/possessive behavior, but eh. Consider this your warning if that sort of thing bothers you.

"Hey, can you zip this?"

Rey had finally settled on a black dress to match Ben's suit - it was a bit form-fitting, but it covered enough to be appropriate for the engagement party they were headed to.

Ben suddenly appeared behind her, casting her a look that indicated he'd much rather take the dress  _off_ , but he finally huffed and zipped it up for her.

In return, Rey turned around to adjust his tie, and sighed happily. It felt  _wonderfully_  domestic.

It had been a little over a week since they'd had dinner with the newly engaged couple, and Ben and Rey  _still_  hadn't managed to tell anyone they were together. Of course,  _some_  people had either figured it out or been unwilling witnesses, but most of Rey's friends still didn't know.

Ben was considering that when he asked, "So, are we  _together_  tonight, or…?"

Rey frowned, working her lips together for a moment. "Honestly, I'd rather not hear 'I told you so'...at least not tonight. This is a big party for Finn and Rose and that just doesn't seem like a great time to tell people. Plus," she shrugged, "part of me likes that this is just...us. It's just ours right now."

He nodded for a minute, understanding. "Just so you know, Poe knows, but he hasn't said anything. Not even to Jess."

"I assumed he'd figured it out after dinner last week. I know he hasn't told Jess...he probably hasn't had the opportunity. I don't think she's talking to him."

"Oh? Why?"

Rey shrugged. "All I know is that Jess is really upset about something. I tried to get her to talk to me about it but she wouldn't tell me what was going on."

"Huh." Ben huffed. "That's weird. I'll talk with Poe tonight, see if he's okay."

"Good idea," Rey nodded. "Hey, I forgot to ask. How'd everything go at the shop today?"

"Not bad," he smiled. "I think I figured out a good layout for everything, and we'll definitely have space for more seating. Maybe we can pick out some furniture soon?"

"That sounds perfect," she beamed. "I'm sorry I've been so busy at the garage this week."

"And I'm sorry I haven't come by with lunch again."

Rey chuckled softly, "That's probably for the best. Your father didn't  _exactly_ appreciate you visiting."

"Right," Ben blushed, glancing at his watch. "Oh, hey, we've got to get going, doesn't this start at 7?"

Rey had turned back toward the mirror to fix the bit of eyeliner she'd managed to smudge and she answered with a quick nod.

"It's 6:52."

" _Shit._ "

* * *

Thankfully they weren't  _too_  late, but the area around the restaurant was crowded enough so that Ben had to park about a block away. From what Rey had gathered from a quick conversation with Rose, her and Finn's families had managed to reserve the restaurant for the whole night. It was the sort with a wide U-shaped bar in the middle, and the seating area around the rest of the room consisted mostly of booths. It was surprisingly fancy considering the couple's usual tastes, and the room was packed with more people than Rey thought they even knew.

The minute they arrived inside, Ben's hand left her waist, and Rey looked back at him with a bit of a sad smile.  _They'd have to tell their friends soon_. Rey just wasn't sure how many game nights or dinners she'd be able to sit through without touching him.

She spotted Rose across the room, dressed in a sparkly blue and silver cocktail dress, talking to a woman Rey  _thought_  was Finn's grandmother. "Ben, I'll be right back," she smiled, gesturing in Rose's direction.

He nodded, and left her with a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Ben!"

Ben turned around to find Finn, who shoved a glass of something into his hand.

"Whiskey? I just guessed," Finn shrugged.

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling, a bit surprised the man was being so nice to him. "Perfect. Congratulations, by the way," Ben offered, "I'm not sure I said it before."

"Thanks," Finn smiled broadly, "I'm just glad I worked up the nerve to actually ask her. It took me forever to figure out how to do it. You know," he explained, "for a while there, I was really convinced I was going to go with a specific line...let me see...I was going to say something like," he deepened his voice mockingly, "'Rose, your family's nothing, you're nothing, but I love you anyway, so marry me,' but I kind of figured she'd hate me for it."

Ben rolled his eyes, recognizing the cheap shot, and answered dryly, "Finn, you're the worst."

The man cracked up, and Ben just shook his head and smiled, knowing Finn meant no harm.

"Nah, but really, Ben, I hope things are okay between you two."

"Yeah," he nodded, "definitely okay."

* * *

After twenty minutes, Rey still hadn't returned. Ben scanned the crowd and saw that she was sitting in a booth socializing with Rose and a few other women. Knowing Rose, they were discussing wedding planning, and Ben was in no rush to join  _that_  particular conversation.

Instead, he glanced around to see if he recognized anyone else, and his eyes finally landed on Poe.  _When had he arrived?_

He made his way over to Poe, who was alone in a booth nursing a drink. Judging by the look he wore, Ben guessed he and Jess were still having issues.

"You either look like you need another drink or like you've had too many," Ben commented. "I can't decide which it is."

It earned him a snort from Poe, who gestured at the seat across from him. Ben sat down and studied his friend's face. "Want to talk about it?"

"Depends," Poe huffed. "Are you willing to help me murder Hux?"

"Hux? What's he got to do with it? Rey mentioned you and Jess are -"

"Not talking," Poe interrupted. "Or, well, she's the one who isn't talking. I've tried, but she won't listen to me."

"So, what happened?"

"Fucking Hux," Poe growled.

"Okay," Ben replied quietly, not wanting to push, "want to tell me what Hux did?"

Poe sighed, and polished off his drink before explaining. "So, a few days ago I took Jess out for dinner and we came back to my place, and things were going really well until someone knocked at my door." He took a deep breath, and buried his head in his hands, then pulled his hands through his hair. "Apparently Hux hired me a prostitute. I didn't know it was him at the time, but he texted me the next day to see if I liked his  _present_."

"Huh," Ben huffed, his eyes wide. "I'm guessing Jess didn't think that was funny…"

Poe answered dryly. "I think she was more confused and upset by the fact that the woman kept calling me  _daddy_  and acting like she knew me."

Ben choked, and started coughing. "I'm sorry, she  _what?_ "

"Yeah," Poe nodded, "when I answered the door she started calling me fucking  _daddy_ , of all things, and kept saying she needed to be punished. I mean," he exhaled loudly, "how the  _fuck_  am I supposed to explain that?"

Ben accidentally loud out a quick laugh. "Sorry, it's not funny." He shook his head and wiped the smile off his face. "Did you tell her it was a prank?"

"Of course! But obviously she didn't believe me. She started crying, saying something about not being able to 'meet my needs' and left before I figured out what the hell had happened." Poe shrugged again.

"I can't believe you guys are still doing this shit to each other," Ben shook his head, trying to keep the smirk off his face. He sighed after a minute and looked up at Poe. "Want me to talk to Jess? Wouldn't it help if she heard that you and Hux have been going back and forth with this stuff for a while?"

Poe's eyes lit up. Apparently he hadn't considered that solution. "That would be amazing. Would you mind?"

"After everything you've done for me?" Ben asked, chuckling. "I think I can probably explain to your girlfriend that you aren't cheating on her, and that you don't,  _to my knowledge_ , have any sort of daddy kink. It's not a problem."

"Thanks Ben," Poe breathed, the tension finally leaving him.

"Don't worry about it. Need another drink?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

"Finally," Ben chuckled, relieved to see Rey threading herself through the crowd, walking toward where he sat with Poe. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Lost me?" she repeated dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Never!"

He glanced around to confirm their friends weren't watching  _too_  closely before pressing a chaste kiss to her hand. "Having fun?"

Rey sighed, shrugging. "It's a bit much for my taste. Rose talked my ear off about this big nightmare of a wedding they're planning. I'm sure it'll be fun to go to but... _ugh_."

"Hmm," he nodded, muttering. "Small wedding, then. That's what I'd prefer anyway."

" _What?_ "

Ben glanced up at her and saw that she wore a rather shocked, but not unhappy, expression. "What?"

She blinked for a second and replied slowly, "Are you...talking about  _us_?"

"Of course," he laughed. "Who else?"

He let her stand there, jaw dropped for a minute before he smiled, deciding to let her think on what he'd implied. "I'm going to get us drinks. I'll be right back."

When he walked away, Rey heard Poe laughing softly behind her. She'd completely forgotten he was even standing there.

"You'll have to forgive him," Poe commented. "I'm not sure if you've noticed but he can be a bit forward."

"You think?" Rey sighed happily, her voice coming out in a sappy, sweet tone.

Poe just nodded, keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself. Rey hadn't bothered to take her eyes off her... _boyfriend? Significant other?_ For some reason, neither label seemed right, and they hadn't really bothered to use a label, at least not yet. She continued watching him sit down at the bar, waiting for their drinks, and she smiled like a fool.

Until she saw the blonde walk up and put her hands on him.

Rey's smile dropped in an instant. She'd never been a jealous person, but she'd also never been in a relationship, and now this fucking  _gorgeous_  tall blonde woman was  _touching_  him. Her hand was on his shoulder, and the other was reaching up to fix his hair and Rey nearly  _burst_.

"Who the  _fuck_  is that?" she hissed, nearly ready to go ask the woman herself.

"Oh, weird, that's...I want to say…" he thought for a minute before giving up, "well, honestly, I don't remember her name." Poe replied casually, as if he had no idea that Rey's blood was boiling. He glanced across the table at her when she let out an angry, guttural noise. "Whoa, Rey, I don't even think they're friends. They haven't dated in years. I think she worked for Snoke."

She shot up from the table. "They  _DATED_?"

Poe knew in an instant it had been the absolute  _wrong_ thing to say. "Well, no, that isn't true…" he explained, attempting to dig himself out of the hole he'd created, "I mean you know what he was like, I'm sure it was just casual…"

Rey had basically drowned him out already, seeing everything in shades of red, and stomped toward the bar, suddenly not caring that they'd agreed to keep their relationship quiet for a bit longer.

The woman was touching his arm now. And his  _thigh_. He seemed to be pulling away from each of her attempts to touch him, but she didn't seem to be backing down. Angry exhales left Rey's nose as she tried to cool off before reaching the bar. She'd caught a glimpse of Rose and some tiny little part of her brain that still used rational thought reminded her that she was at her friend's engagement party, and that she should  _not_  explode and ruin it.

She took a deep breath, and decided on a better course of action.

Pasting on a slight smile, Rey walked up behind where Ben was facing the woman, and slipped her hands over his shoulders."Hi darling," she purred, smiling sweetly and ignoring everyone else entirely, "did you happen to order those drinks?"

Clearly her greeting had surprised him a bit, but he got over it quickly and mirrored her smile, seeming relieved. "I did." he nodded, "I ordered you a white wine. I hope that's okay."

"If you ordered it, darling, I'm sure it'll be good." She added a wink for good measure, and it obviously worked because he swallowed hard and couldn't take his eyes off her.

The woman she'd been ignoring cleared her throat and raised her eyebrow. "Did you need something?"

Rey turned, giving the woman the same sickly-sweet smile she'd given Ben, deciding to rid the bar of this woman once and for all. "Oh hi. I'm Ben's wife. Did  _you_  need something?"

" _Wife_?" she looked to Ben for confirmation, clearly surprised. "I thought you said you had a  _girlfriend_."

Rey wanted to scream that the title really shouldn't matter, especially if he'd clearly stated that he was with someone else, but instead she just continued to smile and improvise. "Slip of the tongue, I'm sure. We're still getting used to the new titles, and it was such a short engagement that we've barely had time to adjust," she grinned widely at Ben, thoroughly amused by his shocked expression, "right sweetheart?"

"Uh," he paused for a second before nodding, apparently now ready to play along, "Right, darling." He took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist, practically pulling her onto his lap before facing the other woman. "Sorry, I should have made introductions. Larysa, this is my... _wife_ ," he hesitated at the word, "Rey."

" _Oh_."

Rey didn't get a chance to watch the woman's reaction because she chose to nuzzle her nose into Ben's neck, whispering loudly enough to not be subtle. "Want to get out of here, honey?"

"Yes," he replied quickly, practically jumping out of his seat. Rey's feet hit the floor and she cast the woman a quick smile before taking Ben's hand, pulling him out of the bar. The party was nearly over anyway, and her feet were aching, so Rey didn't feel bad about leaving a bit early.

* * *

"Rey, what the  _hell_ was that?"

They'd finally found his car and now Ben was looking over at her, a look of pure amusement on his face.

She started turning red from pent-up anger and muttered, "She was  _touching_  you. I didn't like it."

"Neither did I," he snorted. "I wasn't expecting you do  _that_ , though."

"Did I go to far?" Rey asked, wincing a bit.

Ben just chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry, I didn't mind. I was looking for an excuse to get away from her anyway. She didn't even take the hint when I kept talking about my  _beautiful girlfriend_."

Rey let out a bit of an angry growl that came from the back of her throat and unbuckled her seatbelt, relieved he hadn't started the car. She shot over the center console and climbed into his lap, meeting his lips in a demanding, possessive kiss.

After a minute he pulled away, but kept his hands on her hips. "Uh, you okay, Rey?"

"No," she hissed. "I didn't  _like_  seeing some gorgeous woman practically throw herself at you. You're  _mine_."

She looked up when he didn't respond and saw that his eyes had gone dark, and the look he was giving her was one of pure lust. "Yes," he murmured, "I am. And you're  _mine_." His voice became silky and almost menacing when he asked, "Need me to prove it to you?"

"Yes," she growled, attacking his mouth, biting down on his bottom lip.

Before she released the lip she was sucking on, he'd unzipped his pants, pulled the lace that covered her aside, and buried himself inside her.

"You're  _mine_ , Rey," he repeated, taking a moment to bite at the nape of her neck. She moaned loudly as she started moving herself up and down his length, setting a fast and satisfying pace, guaranteeing it wouldn't take either of them long to find release.

She gripped his shoulders harshly, pushing him firmly against the seat, and sucked spots at his neck, moving her hands up to pull at his hair. " _Yours_ ," she breathed, nodding against his neck.

Ben's hands gripped her hips, and his fingers dug into her flesh, undoubtedly leaving bruises. "There's no one else for me," he said harshly, biting back a groan. "Never going to be anyone else."

Rey whined against him, her bites turning into softer kisses, and she looked up at him, finally pressing her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss.

"I love you, sweetheart," he said softly, pulling out of the kiss, his hands on her hips slowing her rhythm, "Now come for me so I can take you home and prove it to you."

He brought his hand down to where they met and started working a finger in circles around her clit, finally feeling her start to shudder around him. His lips met hers and she cried her release into his mouth, her hips still moving against him, working them both down from their climaxes.

He smirked into her hair and chuckled a bit. "You know, I didn't think you were the jealous type."

"Neither did I," she replied softly.

"Well, as much as I like having you on my lap, I'm not sure I can drive like this," he commented, "and I'd  _really_ like to get you home and into bed."

"Mmm," she hummed happily, her negative feelings from earlier wiped from her mind. "That sounds excellent."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: A reveal, an argument, and a revelation.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	19. With This Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm really sorry I missed yesterday's update. I had a massive paper due and it was nowhere near as fun to write as this was. I hope you like it!

Ben did exactly as promised, getting them home and into bed as quickly as possible, and essentially wiped Rey's mind of the question she'd been planning to ask. It wasn't until an hour or so later when Rey rolled over in his arms, turned to face him, and remembered that she still had no idea what had happened with Poe and Jess.

"Oh, did everything end up going okay with Poe?"

He glanced down at her before what she'd asked clicked in his mind. "Right. Yeah, just Hux and Poe at it again. You'd think by their mid-30s they would have grown up a bit. It was just a prank," he chuckled. "Pretty funny one too."

"A prank?" Rey asked, surprised. "Are you sure that was all it was? Jess was  _really_  upset. I'm not sure I've seen her that upset before."

"Yeah," Ben nodded, deciding to explain. "Apparently Hux hired a woman to show up at Poe's place and act as though they were... _together._ " He shook his head, smirking. "It might not have been  _that_  bad, but I guess Hux also told the woman that Poe had some sort of daddy kink. Poe said he and Jess were at his place when she showed up calling him 'daddy' and telling him she needed to be punished."

Rey's jaw dropped. "Oh my  _God_. That's  _terrible_."

"I don't know, I thought it was one of his more creative pranks," he laughed.

" _Seriously?_ "

Ben glanced down at her and saw the annoyed look she wore, and shrugged.

"That's  _awful_. Jess was really upset! How can you be friends with someone who would do that?"

He snorted. "Have you considered all the shit Poe's done? It's not a one-sided thing. They've both been screwing with each other for years."

"Yeah, but this isn't some harmless prank," Rey argued. "It wasn't just between Poe and Hux. This time Jess got hurt, arguably a lot more than either of them."

"Maybe she should have just trusted her boyfriend," Ben pointed out. "Poe said she just ran out before he got a chance to figure out what had happened. If she'd given him a chance and didn't just assume he was lying, it would have been resolved pretty quickly."

Rey scoffed, turning away from him. "You know Ben, I love you but I think you're being a bit of an asshole right now. Messing with someone's relationship like that  _isn't_  funny."

After a moment she glanced back at him, surprised at his lack of retort, and saw that his eyes had softened and grown wide.

"What did you say?" he asked softly.

She frowned. "I said I think you're being a bit of an asshole for thinking this is funny."

"No," he said quietly, shaking his head. His eyes shined in a way she hadn't seen before. "Not that part. You said you love me."

"Of course I do," she replied, taken aback by his response. "I thought you knew that."

He shrugged slightly and continued to look at her in amazement. "You've never said it."

"Oh," she considered it, realizing he was right. She'd  _basically_  said it, or at least implied it, but she'd never actually said the words. "I guess, given our history, it's about right that I said it for the first time in the middle of an argument."

"I don't think the argument matters now," he chuckled. "But if it makes you feel better, I did tell Poe I'd talk to Jess and explain everything about him and Hux. I'm having coffee with her tomorrow."

Rey smiled softly. "That does make me feel better. Thanks."

He didn't reply except to look down at her like she was the most incredible, precious thing he could imagine. "You love me," he whispered, as if trying to convince himself.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm not going to lie, it scares me. But I do."

Ben pursed his lips for a moment and asked, "Why does it scare you?"

"Honestly?" Rey took a deep breath and sighed. "People always leave. I know, I know, I have friends and they've never left, but that's different. At some point I  _know_  Rose and Finn will be off with their own family and I'll only see them once in a while, and I know eventually Poe and Jess will go their own way, either separate or together, and it'll be the same." She shrugged and looked up at him, tears starting to collect in her eyes. "You're different though. I'm sure this sounds horribly clingy or something but I don't think I could handle you not being a constant in my life."

"You think I'll leave?" he whispered.

She blinked a few tears back and sighed again. "People usually do."

Ben realized, in that moment, that he'd spend as much of his life as she'd allow making sure she knew that he needed her every bit as much as she needed him.

* * *

A week passed quickly, filled with lunch dates, more work at the shop, and long nights spent wrapped up in each other's arms. It was Thursday night before Rey received a text from Finn, reminding her that it was their turn to host game night.  _How could she have forgotten?_

" _Shit_."

Ben looked up from the stove and glanced back at her. "What's up?"

"It's our turn for game night tomorrow," she bit her lip nervously. "I completely forgot."

They still hadn't really mentioned their relationship to anyone but Poe, and for some reason Rey was nervous about it. Her friends were such an integral part of her life, and she had a feeling Ben would be a large part of her life for a very long time, so it felt important that they... _approve? ...at least not question her judgement?_ Realistically she wasn't sure what sort of reaction she was looking for. Maybe just a supportive one would do.

"Okay, but we host it at least once a month, so I can't imagine that's why you're making your lip swell."

Rey looked up at him and watched him walk over to her. He frowned a bit at the worry on her face and bent down to kiss her softly. "Nervous about telling them?"  _Sometimes it was like he could read her mind._

"A bit," she nodded.

He sighed and kissed her again before replying. "Sweetheart, they love you. If anything, they might just be annoyed you didn't tell them sooner." He shrugged, "Or maybe they already figured it out. You didn't seem very shy about being on my lap at the engagement party."

Anger flashed in her eyes. She still hadn't completely gotten over that. "I wasn't really thinking. That woman was lucky I didn't do worse."

"Take it easy," he chuckled. "I'm all yours. You should know that by now."

Rey pulled him down for another kiss, this one a bit more passionate than the soft ones he'd been giving her. When she pulled away, she smiled and nodded.

* * *

Ben was an  _angel_ , Rey mused. She'd been rushing around the garage trying to wrap things up quickly so she could go prep the condo for company when she received his text.

**Cleaned the condo, got groceries. Make-your-own pizzas ok? Poe and Jess aren't coming. They talked it out and they're going away this weekend.**

_That's great news. Have I mentioned today that I love you?_

**Probably, but you should say it more often just in case.**

_I love you I love you I love you._

**Get home soon and you can say it more before they show up.**

Unfortunately, a last minute client had just arrived, dashing Rey's hopes of arriving home well in advance of their guests. She sent a quick text to Ben, relaying her disappointment, and entered the office to let Han know their client had arrived.

"I can take care of that one," Han offered, chuckling. "Go home. You should have left twenty minutes ago."

Rey brushed him off and started walking out to meet the client.

" _Rey_ ," he called, "I mean it. Go home before my son shows up to steal you away."

She blushed and rolled her eyes before smiling at him. "Are you sure?"

"Anything for my future daughter-in-law," he smirked, and winked.  _So that's where Ben got that from._

" _Han_ ," she hissed, shooting him a warning look.

He chuckled, and raised his hands up as if to surrender. "Just calling it as I see it. Have a good night, kid. Tell Ben I said hi."

She shook her head and walked away in the direction of home, stuck somewhere between blushing furiously, being deliriously happy, and muttering curses.  _What was it about Solo men that was simultaneously charming and infuriating?_

* * *

"Peanut, you've got a dozen toppings to choose from and you're really just putting pepperoni on there?"

Rey glanced up at Finn and saw that he was watching her, thoroughly amused by her pizza creation. She shrugged and threw a few more slices on before declaring it complete.

The four of them had piled into the kitchen, taking turns loading up their pizzas with toppings Ben had picked up, and he was leaning back against the counter by the sink, chewing his bottom lip. They hadn't discussed how they'd tell her friends - they'd only said they would.  _Maybe they could just make it obvious enough for someone to ask_. At least that would be much less awkward than coming out and announcing it, which was something Rey probably would be too nervous to do.

Ben nodded to himself, deciding on that. No announcement necessary, no fanfare needed. He'd loved her for quite a while now and there was no point in not showing it.

So, while everyone was still adding toppings, he did what felt natural, and walked up behind Rey, wrapping his arms around her waist. It was fairly innocent, but it didn't leave much room for interpretation, especially when he pressed a kiss into her hair. She'd stilled, but after a moment she turned around and pressed her back into the counter, facing him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

"Don't you have a pizza to make?" she giggled.

He snorted. "I was considering stealing yours but I think Finn's right. It's way too boring."

At the mention of his name, Finn glanced up, prepared to agree and tease Rey a bit, but paused when he saw her in Ben's arms. "Huh," Finn huffed. "Rose, you were right."

Rey looked over at Rose, who just shrugged. "I'm not sure why you're surprised. We both saw them at the engagement party."

She'd been holding it together well until then, but Rose's comment brought a deep red into Rey's cheeks. "You, ah...saw that?" she asked, cringing a bit.

"You mean, did we see you almost murder a woman because she touched Ben?" Rose giggled. "Oh yeah, we saw that."

* * *

And just like that, everyone who mattered to Rey knew, and much to Rey's relief, they only met her with love and support. When she stopped to consider it, she wasn't sure why she'd ever expected anything else.

A few weeks later, she helped Ben open the bookstore and they sat down to plan a few months worth of daily and event schedules. They fell into it easily, transitioning between romantic partners to business partners with the flip of a switch. Of course, occasionally that switch flipped at the wrong time, and sometimes they found themselves naked and on top of important documents, but that didn't seem to bother either of them much.

Ben found himself working late one night, about two weeks after they'd officially opened. Leia's book club meeting had run a bit late, and he'd stayed behind to close up, sending Rey home to get some dinner. By 8PM everyone but Leia had left, and she helped him put the chairs they'd used back in their normal spots.

They moved around the shop in comfortable silence until she finally glanced up at him and asked, "So, how's everything going with Rey?"

Ben knew his first instinct would normally be to tell her not to meddle (she'd done enough of that already), but just the mention of Rey put a wide, stupid smile on his face.

"That good, huh?" she chuckled.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something." Ben took a deep breath, preparing for her to burst at his next words. "Were you serious when you offered to let me use grandma's ring?"

Much to his surprise, she just smiled and nodded. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

_The man really couldn't be trusted with laundry._

Rey laughed, shaking her head at the adorable idiocy of her boyfriend. He was at the bookstore for the rest of the afternoon, and she'd come home a bit early to get laundry done while he couldn't attempt to help. He was great at so many domestic things - cooking, cleaning, etc. but somehow, he managed to  _completely_  fail at laundry. In less than a year he'd managed to turn multiple loads of whites pink  _and_  he'd ruined more than one of her sweaters.

She wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed so many years without her.

Pulling the hamper toward the washer, Rey started to unbundle each clothing item she removed, checking pockets (he was constantly leaving loose change in his and she'd often end up listening to it rattle around in the dryer) before putting them in to be cleaned. It was all standard stuff - a pair of earbuds, some change, a pack of gum -  _Oh, lovely, that would have made a wonderful mess_.

That being said, it was all pretty typical.

Until she found the box.

It was small, made of dark wood with an intricate design carved into it, and somehow in an instant she knew exactly what it was.

And she knew exactly what she'd say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Four items, assuming you leave off the silver sixpence.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



	20. Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this one! Thanks again for all your comments, reviews, kudos, etc - it's all been very much appreciated :D
> 
> So yeah, be prepared, this is like 2k words of fluff. Enjoy.

 

"Rey," Rose gasped, "that's the one."

She glanced around and saw that all three women were smiling widely. Jess was nodding in approval and Leia... _well_ , Leia had tears in her eyes, and Rey's heart clenched. When they arrived the consultant had asked if the mother of the bride was joining them and to her surprise, Rey hadn't felt the familiar pang of sadness she'd been expecting. Instead, Leia had smiled, taken her hand, and squeezed.

"It's perfect," Leia nodded. "Simple, beautiful...it's you."

Rey blushed and turned around to check the mirror. For some miserable reason the consultant had tried showing her elaborate ball-gowns, which really just seemed a bit silly for such a small wedding. Thankfully, Leia had taken matters into her own hands, pulling the dress Rey now wore off a rack, pushing it into her hands. It was a fairly simple white gown, an A-line tulle skirt with a delicate lace-overlay bodice. A more revealing lace started at the top of the sweetheart neckline and wrapped over her shoulders, meeting the tulle skirt at her lower back. It left most of her back essentially bare, but that was really the only revealing part of the dress, and Rey  _loved_  it.

She glanced down at the skirt, running her hands over the soft material. The sparkling ring on her finger caught her eye, and she smiled fondly, remembering how she'd come to wear it.

 

_Ben had arrived home just after four. Thankfully it had been a rather slow afternoon, so Rey had gone home early, claiming she wanted to get some laundry done, and he'd stayed to get some writing done before closing for the night._

_Rey didn't seem to be downstairs, so he glanced up the stairs, assuming she was probably swapping laundry over. He decided to see if she needed help, and went up, heading in the direction of the washer and dryer, which were in a large closet off the hallway that connected the bedrooms._

_She was...sitting on the floor?_

_Ben huffed quietly. It was somewhat reminiscent of the first night she'd lived there. She sat with her back against the hallway wall, her knees bent, and her forearms resting on them, her hands holding a small box._

_A box._

_Fuck._

_Ben blinked, and swallowed hard, realizing obviously a bit fucking late that he'd left the box in his jeans pocket after picking it up from Leia._

_Did she open it?_

_Did she know what it was?_

_He cleared his throat and walked toward her, his back sliding down the wall to take a seat across the hall from her._

" _Uh...Rey?" he asked softly._

_She looked up at him, blinking tears out of her eyes._

" _Please don't freak out," he whispered, begging her relax, or at least respond._

_After an agonizing minute, a small giggle burst from her lips, and Ben held his breath, waiting for her to tell him he was out of his mind._

" _Ben," she shook her head, and smiled widely, "I'm not freaking out."_

" _Then why are you crying?" he asked quietly._

 _Rey laughed again._ What a stupid man _. She slid across the floor and climbed onto his lap, letting him slip his arms around her waist. "Because I'm happy," she said softly, "and because I'm saying yes."_

_The look on his face was priceless, and he stared at her in awe for a minute before pulling her in for a long, sweet kiss._

 

"So, what do you think, Rey?"

Her attention snapped back to Rose, pulling her out of the memory.

"Yeah," she smiled, glancing back at her friends via the mirror she stood in front of, "this is definitely the one."

* * *

Rey's nerves were in overdrive, but the fingers pulling gently through her hair were slowly pulling the stress and tension away. They'd opted, as expected, for a very small wedding. In fact, they had only about a dozen guests, which was more than fine with Rey. The women were getting ready in Leia and Han's bedroom (which was  _massive_ ) while the men got ready elsewhere, and Leia had generously offered the use of their property for the ceremony. It seemed to be a never ending property, green as far as Rey could see, and the whole area around the house was landscaped beautifully with trees and flower beds. It was  _perfect_.

"Do you mind if I do a braid, sweetheart?"

Rey's eyes connected to Leia's in the mirror she sat in front of, and she nodded, smiling. Leia continued pulling strands of hair various ways, and within twenty minutes or so, her hair was in a gorgeous, elaborate braid that wrapped around her head in a crown.

"Leia," she breathed, "it's gorgeous."

The woman just smiled, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Have you seen Ben this morning?" Rey asked, knowing perfectly well that Leia had been checking in regularly to make sure the men were running on schedule.

Leia's smile got wider and she nodded. "I've never seen him this happy."

Rey took a deep breath, smiling fondly at the woman who'd become a mother to her. She'd been a mother to Rey for years, but somehow they got even closer after her and Ben told everyone they were getting married.

 

" _I knew that ring would be perfect for you." Leia seemed to figure it out as soon as she saw them. It's possible that the expressions they wore were a good hint. They'd been planning on saying something after the family had dinner, but the woman was as observant as ever._

_Han wasn't, of course. He tended to tune out anything fashion or jewelry related, so he didn't think much of Leia's comment until he noticed the big smile that had broken out on Luke's face. After all, why would he care so much about women's jewelry?_

_It dawned on him after a minute, and he gave his trademark grin, patting his son on the shoulder. "Congratulations kid," he said proudly._

" _I just can't believe it took you so long," Leia laughed._

_Rey blushed and snuggled into Ben's side, feeling his arms pull her into a hug._

" _Don't go planning some elaborate wedding," Ben warned. "We want something small. Just friends and close family."_

_Leia practically jumped at the mention of wedding planning. Rey noticed, and smiled at the woman she'd happily call her mother-in-law someday. "You know, if you need any help planning…"_

_While Rey laughed and told Leia they'd be thankful for her help, Ben glanced over at his father nervously. He sighed, seeing his father give him a smile and a reassuring nod._

 

"Hey, kid," Han poked his head into the bedroom, checking in on them. He paused for a minute, glancing at Rey. "You look beautiful. Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Rey swallowed hard, nodding. "Yeah, I'm ready."

She'd never been more ready for something in her life.

* * *

A Year(ish) Later

Rey ran down the stairs, grabbing her purse before she rushed out the door.

"Hey," Ben called from the kitchen, "I got muffins! Want one for the road?"

She paused. Sure, she was running late to work, but the suggestion of a muffin (probably a chocolate chip one, knowing Ben) was awfully tempting.

"Absolutely," she nodded, rushing into the kitchen to grab one. She'd just have to eat it on her way to work. He handed her one wrapped in a paper towel and gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him.

"There's a tax for the muffin," he joked, dipping her at the waist, kissing her deeply.

When he brought her back to her feet, she sighed and nuzzled her head under his chin.

"Uh, sweetheart," he chuckled. "Weren't you just rushing to work?"

Her eyes snapped open. "Yes! Shit! I'll see you later!" she shouted, now halfway to the door. "Love you!"

"Love you too, sweetheart."

She ended up speed walking to the garage. It had just started getting warm enough again to walk, and even though she was running a bit late, the walk was worth it. Plus, Han likely wouldn't mind. Rey was  _never_ late (except for that one time they didn't talk about).

 _Late_.

Something about that word forced her to halt. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, dropping the muffin and her jaw along with it, and did a bit of math.

_Holy shit._

* * *

"Hey kid, running late?"

Rey's eyes snapped up to meet Han's. She'd gotten to the garage about 40 minutes later than planned after a stop at the pharmacy. Thankfully there was one within walking distance.

"Whoa, kid, you look like you've seen a ghost," Han commented, concern seeping into his voice. "Are you okay? I don't think we're going to be busy today. Do you need to go home?"

Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she kept toying with the paper bag she was holding. She shook her head, but knew she likely looked panicked.

Han took another step closer, taking the bag out of her hands, trying to get her attention. "Rey, are you okay? You're kinda freaking me out here."

Rey turned a deep red when he took the paper bag, and reached to take it back, but somehow ended up just ripping it, its contents falling to the ground.

He glanced down and saw the recognizable pink box, his eyes going wide before he glanced up at her.

"Are you…?"

"I don't exactly know," she snapped. Rey took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just...a little out of it right now."

Han just blinked for a minute. As much as Rey adored the man, she kind of wished this had happened with Leia.  _At least she'd know what to say._

"You should find out," he told her. "Find out, then decide if you need to panic."

She nodded. It made sense, but somehow it was still terrifying.

When she came out of the garage's bathroom, Han was sitting on one of the work benches, nervously tapping his fingers on his knees. He stood up immediately when she came out, and asked in a shaky breath, "Well?"

"I…" she blinked. "I think I need to go talk to Ben."

Han's face broke out in a wide smile and he walked forward to wrap his still-shocked daughter-in-law in a big hug.

* * *

It really shouldn't have been a surprise. She couldn't remember exactly at which point she'd stopped taking the pill, but she did remember that it had been a mutual decision made in a haze of lust, and it had been followed by the most exquisite, slow and mind-blowing sex she'd ever experienced. For some reason, the decision hadn't been followed by much of a discussion.

Of course now she was feeling the effects of that decision, and her heart raced.

They'd been married for a little over a year, so it's not like it was a  _complete_  surprise. But somehow, it still was.

She had to tell him, but she could barely admit it to herself. She wasn't even sure she could say the word.  _Pregnant_.

Rey arrived at the bookstore, and paced in front of it for a few minutes before going in. She truly had  _no_  idea how to tell him, and she had  _no_ idea what he'd say. What if he wasn't happy about it?  _Was she happy about it?_

That question gave her pause.  _How did she feel about it?_  She pictured a child that was half him...half her. Her hazel eyes. His dark hair. Warmth blossomed in her chest and a smile formed on her lips.

_Yes. She was happy._

Rey took a deep breath and walked in the door.

Ben's head glanced up from his laptop - he was sitting at the front counter, writing since there were no customers needing his help.

"Hey sweetheart," he smiled, "I didn't know you'd be stopping in."

She didn't reply, but walked up toward him to give him a soft kiss over the counter.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, frowning.  _He could tell how nervous she was._

Rey took another deep breath and shrugged, "I'm late."

"Well yeah," he chuckled. "I know, you practically ran out of the condo this morning."

"Not that kind of  _late_ ," she whispered.

After a minute Ben's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah," she nodded quietly answering the question he hadn't asked. She waited for his reaction.

She didn't have to wait long. She'd never seen him smile like that before. He waited a second before walking around the counter, swooping her up, and wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Hey, hey, watch it," she giggled, "don't squeeze so hard...the baby..." she explained, then took a deep breath, realizing it was the first time she'd really acknowledged it.

"Yeah," he breathed, "right, sorry."

"It's okay," she smiled happily up at him. "So...you're happy?"

His smile was all she needed to know. Happy was an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: If anyone was curious about the "Next" from the previous chapter - the original rhyme was "Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe."
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 



End file.
